business
/ˈbɪznɪs/
noun
Origin
Old English
bisignis — anxiety, care, state of being busy
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person's regular occupation, profession, or trade.
- Commercial activity, buying and selling, or the practice of making one's living.
- A commercial organization or entity.
Literal older meaning
the state of being busy
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
bisignesse
Earliest period
late 12th century
Journey
The word evolved from the Old English 'bisig' (meaning 'careful' or 'anxious') to imply an state of being 'busy'. Over centuries, the association with being occupied shifted from mere activity to the pursuit of trade and commercial enterprise.
Evolution
- Old English
bisignis
“anxiety, concern”
Derived from 'bisig' (busy) plus suffix '-nes'.
- Middle English
bisynesse
“labor, effort, state of being busy”
Used to denote diligence or the state of being occupied.
- Late Middle English
businesse
“matter of concern, trade”
The meaning began to transition toward commercial engagement.
- Early Modern English
business
“commercial enterprise”
Established the modern orthography.
Connections
Word parts
busy
root
constantly occupied
-ness
suffix
state or quality
Related across languages
Old Frisian
bisig
busy
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Related to business
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.