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Origin and history of commodity

commodity(n.)

early 15c., "benefit, profit, welfare;" also "a convenient or useful product," from Old French commodit "benefit, profit" (15c.) and directly from Latin commoditatem (nominative commoditas) "fitness, adaptation, convenience, advantage," from commodus "proper, fit, appropriate, convenient, satisfactory," from com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + modus "measure, manner" (from PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures").

From early 15c. as "article of merchandise, anything movable of value that can be bought or sold." General sense "property, possession" is from c. 1500.

commodity

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to commodity

commodification(n.)

"action of converting (something) into a commercial product or activity," 1968, from commodity + -fication "a making or causing." Originally in Marxist political theory, "the assignment of a market value," often to some quality or thing that the user of the word feels would be better off without it.

commoditization(n.)

1965, from commodity + -ization. The businessman's word; the Marxist's is commodification (q.v.).

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good
Old English gōd (with a long "o") "excellent, fine; valuable; desirable, favorable, beneficial; full, entire, complete;" of abstractions, actions, etc., "beneficial, effective; righteous, pious;" of persons or souls, "righteous, pious, virtuous;" probably originally "having the r
corner
or surrender is inevitable," is American English from 1824; commercial sense "monopolize the market supply of a stock or commodity...
barter
"to traffic or trade by exchanging one commodity for another," mid-15c., apparently from Old French barater "to barter, cheat...
consumer
In economics, "one who uses up goods or articles, one who destroys the exchangeable value of a commodity by using it" (opposite...
bin
"enclosed receptacle for some commodity," Old English binne "basket, manger, crib," a word of uncertain origin....
bushel
The exact measure varied from place to place and according to commodity, and though in 19c. in Britain it acquired a precise...
monopoly
1530s, "exclusive control of a commodity or trade," from Latin monopolium, from Greek monopōlion "right of exclusive sale...
salvage
1640s, "payment for saving a ship from wreck or capture," from French salvage (15c.), from Old French salver "to save" (see save (v.)). The general sense of "the saving of property from danger" is attested from 1878. Meaning "recycling of waste material" is from 1918, from the Br
shopping
1764, "the act or practice of visiting shops for the purpose of examining and purchasing goods," a verbal noun from shop (v.). The meaning "goods that have been purchased" is attested by 1934. Shopping bag is attested from 1864; shopping cart by 1929. Shopping list, of purchases
merchandise
mid-13c., marchaundise, "trading, commerce, action or business of buying and selling goods or commodities for profit;" mid-14c., "commodities of commerce; wares, movable objects, and articles for sale or trade," from Anglo-French marchaundise, Old French marcheandise "goods, merc

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