In Shuo Wen Jie Zi, China's oldest dictionary, chen (prophecies) and qian (bamboo strips used for divination) are both defined as meaning yan--predictions of gods or spirits which later come to pass.
讖和籤，在《說文解字》裡都是「驗」的意思，也就是可應驗的神的預言。而讖語和籤詩，望文生義就是具有神諭色彩的短文。