The word "一贯" (yīguàn) is formed by combining the character "一" (yī), meaning "one" or "single", with "贯" (guàn), which originally meant "to pass through" or "to string together", as in threading coins on a string. Together, they create a conceptual metaphor where a single, unbroken thread runs through something, giving rise to the abstract meaning of "consistent", "unwavering", or "all along". This compound thus denotes a principle, attitude, or practice that is coherent and unchanged over time, as if unified by one continuous core. The term is famously associated with the Confucian doctrine of having a single, pervasive guiding principle, as mentioned in the Analects.