How did ‘concern’ semantically shift to mean ‘commercial enterprise ‘?

scherz0 May 20, 2024 at 22:09 1500 views 4 comments
No, it’s not a “concern” in the sense of “worries”. It’s a concern in the sense of “commercial enterprise, entity”.


PS: From the sense of busyness came the business meaning of “concern” I suppose.


1. How are these 2 senses of concern related? What semantic notions underlie the popular sense of ‘worries’, with this esoteric sense of ‘commercial enterprise’? I need much more detail than these snippety sentences above.

2. Please trace all semantic shifts from Latin concern?
I mix, sift, or mingle together, as in a sieve”) to this sense of English ‘concern’? How, and why, did concern? shift to concern meaning “an establishment for the transaction of business”?

I never heard of this ‘obscure meaning where it means “business”’!

FYI a “concern” is quite old english for an establishment or business of some kind.


3. But why use concern when “business”, “corporation”, or “enterprise” are more intuitive and understandable?

Comments (4)

Banno May 21, 2024 at 06:17 #905696
https://www.etymonline.com/word/concern#etymonline_v_46683

mcdoodle May 21, 2024 at 16:22 #905794
Reply to scherz0 Among accountants it’s particularly used in the sense of a ‘going concern’ - one that is capable of going on in business. See this .
flannel jesus May 21, 2024 at 16:26 #905796
Reply to scherz0 why are you asking this like it's a homework problem? And why did you ask it on multiple forums? Don't you already have an answer?
flannel jesus May 21, 2024 at 16:32 #905798
An interesting parallel just occurred to me: the phrase "that doesn't concern you" compared with the phrase "that's none of your business"