[classic] both etymologically refer to the idea of "thought woven
into writing"—that is, the fabric of ancient thought is given
special authority and classical weight by being written down and
systematized by a great mind or author.
Norman Girardot, The Victorian Translation of China: James Legge's
Oriental Pilgrimage (University of California Press, 2002), p. 428.
The Chinese character is 經, which originally meant "warp in a loom,"
and possibly was a picture of a loom.
