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The E-Sylum:  Volume 4, Number 35, August 26, 2001, Article 10

WORDS ON WEALTH 

   Michael E. Marotta writes: "We all know that "pecu" for cow 
   is the root of "pecuniary." In fact, the German word "das Vieh" 
   (pronounced "fee") has the same entendre.  The words "yield" 
   and "gold" share a common root because gold is the color of 
   wheat when it is ripe. Merchant, meretricious, merit, marriage, 
   marine and many more share a common source concept 
   personified by Mercury.  A person of merit is often talented. 
   Before the Biblical parable of the talents, the word talent only 
   referred to a weight of metal.   In telling the story, Jesus 
   exhorted us to maximize the "talents" given to us by our Master 
   in heaven. 

   It is easy to equate "seal," "sheqel," and "siglos."  However, 
   "cash" in its two senses has two different origins.  The western 
   word for ready money is equivalent to "case."  The name of the 
   Chinese coin has a different origin entirely.  The ancient Chinese 
   use of the cowerie shell was most likely the first fiduciary 
   money. In the kanji ideograms of Japanese many "money" 
   words -- "boxing match" i.e., "prize fight" -- have this symbol 
   in their written forms, including "precious metal."   In other 
   words, the pre-existing idea of cowerie as money is a modifier 
   for metal that conveys the idea of metal as money." 

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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