Commodity
/kəˈmɒd.ɪ.ti/noun
An article of trade or a useful thing that can be bought and sold.
Did you know?Commodity ultimately comes from Latin *commodus*, meaning “fit, proper, convenient,” from *com-* + *modus* (“measure”), so its deepest root is about being “in due measure.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*med-
“to measure, consider, advise”
Latin
Latin
modus
“measure, manner, limit”
Latin
Latin
commodus
“suitable, convenient, proper”
Late Latin
Latin
commoditas
“fitness, convenience, advantage”
Old French
Old French
commodité
“convenience, benefit, comfort”
Middle English
English
commodity
“convenience, usefulness; later, an article of trade”