子 'master' is a title of respect, and in the Analects it means Confucius himself;
曰 is the classical word for
说 'to say'. Because so many passages open this way, people sometimes start a quotation with
子曰 in jest, and the chengyu
子曰诗云 'the Master says, the Odes say' mocks someone who keeps spouting the classics.
