SVG text is real, selectable, accessible text — positioned in the coordinate system. Anchor it, then flow it along a curve with <textPath>.
The x,y is the text's baseline origin. text-anchor decides whether that point is the start, middle, or end of the text.
The crosshair marks (x,y). Watch how start/middle/end slides the text relative to that fixed point.
Wrap text in <textPath href="#curve"> and it rides the curve. startOffset shifts where it begins along the path length.
The path is drawn faint here so you can see it, but in production set its stroke="none" — the text is all you ship.