The compound word "贯穿" is formed through the combination of two semantically similar characters, each contributing to an intensified and nuanced meaning. The first character, "贯" (guàn), originally meant "to string together" or "to pass through," often in a linear sense. The second, "穿" (chuān), means "to pierce," "to penetrate," or "to wear." When combined, they create a verb that synthesizes these ideas, meaning "to run through," "to penetrate from end to end," or "to thread through," conveying a strong sense of uninterrupted continuity, whether describing a physical object piercing through something or, more commonly, an abstract theme or principle permeating a narrative, system, or period of time.