The word 经营 is formed through the conceptual combination of two ancient pictorial ideas: the character 经 originally depicted the vertical warp threads on a loom, representing the fundamental, structured framework of a system, while 营 depicted shelters or buildings arranged around a communal fire, representing the act of building, managing, and sustaining a settled endeavor. Together, they create a metaphor of constructing and maintaining an enterprise, first establishing the essential structure and framework (经), and then actively working to operate and develop it (营), to convey the holistic process of managing and running a business or operation.