经
jīng · HSK 7
classic
🧵 silk 纟 + 巠: warp threads run lengthwise through cloth, so 经 = through, via
The silk radical 纟 plus 巠 (an underground watercourse) gave a word for the warp threads that run the full length of woven cloth. From threads passing through fabric came the senses through, via, and as a result of.
经 — silk radical 纟 + 巠 (underground stream)
Originally written 經, combining the silk radical 糸 with 巠, depicting vertical threads on a loom. The core meaning was 'warp threads,' which extended to 'pass through,' 'classic text,' and 'manage.' The phonetic 巠 also suggests the sound.