Economist
/ɪˈkɒnəmɪst/noun
A specialist who studies or analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Did you know?In early Christian Greek, oikonomia could also mean a divine plan or “dispensation,” giving the word a theological dimension beyond household bookkeeping.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weik-
“A dwelling, settlement, or household; the proposed ancestral root behind Greek oikos.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οἶκος (oikos)
“House, household, or property.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οἰκονομία (oikonomia)
“Household management or administration; literally, the arranging or managing of a household.”
Classical Greek
Greek
οἰκονόμος (oikonomos)
“A household manager, steward, or administrator.”
Late Latin
Latin
oeconomus
“A household steward or administrator, borrowed from Greek.”
16th Century
English
economist
“A person concerned with managing resources or with the principles of economy; later, a specialist in economics.”
Modern English
English
economist
“A professional who studies economic systems, policies, and activity.”