The word "已经" is formed through the combination of two distinct characters, each with ancient pictographic origins that converged conceptually. The first character, "已", originally depicted a coiled thread or serpent, evolving to signify "to stop" or "to finish", thereby conveying a sense of completion. The second, "经", derives from an image representing warp threads on a loom, fundamental and longitudinal, which extended metaphorically to mean "to pass through" or "a constant course". Thus, the compound "已经" visually and notionally merges the idea of an action being finished ("已") with the sense of it having passed through a point in its course ("经"), creating the holistic meaning of "already".