The process of creating fabric by interlacing threads at right angles; the act of creating something by combining various elements skillfully.
From Old English wefan, related to Germanic *webaną (to weave). One of humanity's oldest crafts, the word has remained remarkably stable across millennia. Metaphorical uses (weaving stories, weaving through traffic) emerged by 16th century.
Weaving is so fundamental to human civilization that we use its metaphors everywhere - we 'weave' stories, 'spin' tales, and describe complex situations as 'tangled webs.' The binary over-under pattern of weaving may have influenced early mathematical and logical thinking about systematic processes.
Historically feminized labor; women's textile work was often unpaid or undervalued despite economic and cultural importance. Gendered as 'women's work' across cultures.
Credit weaving as skilled craft regardless of practitioner gender. Avoid assumptions that textile work is inherently or primarily female.
Women weavers created economic power, cultural identity, and knowledge systems in ancient and contemporary societies; their contributions rival other skilled trades.
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