Quotations and Literature Forum

...for a quotation that, alas, I can't recall exactly. It's something like, "the beginning of wisdom is when one stops looking at words, and when they start to look back." That's the general gist. "Wisdom" may not be in the actual quotation at all, but it's succinct and "about" the notion of etymology, of words "having depth" and the like. I'm pretty sure something quite close to "words looking back" is in the quotation.

I know, not much to go on but I'd be grateful for any thoughts on this.

Regards,

KD in H-town.