Rewriting Value: How The Dictionary Altered The Definition Of Money

What is money? How has the dictionary changed the meaning of the word money? Here is a look at how the word money has been altered and its implication for personal finance.

Words have meaning. When they are changed, it is often a sign of propaganda. Rather than staying true to what the words mean, they are redefined to fit a narrative or benefit those in power. One such example is a word that most people think they know or understand, but once it is looked at closer, it is clear that it has been reinterpreted and presented to the public with a new definition. The word is money.

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Etymology

Etymology is concerned with language. More precisely, etymology is concerned with word origins and meaning. For language to function, words must have meaning. People must understand what they mean. That requires there to be stability to words and their definitions. If words and their definitions can easily be changed, they can be made to tell whatever the writers of dictionaries or “authorities” want them to be. Language also connects to how humans think. If the language is corrupt, so is human thought.

“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” ― George Orwell, 1984

“It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.” ― George Orwell, 1984

Source: Quote Fancy, George Orwell Quote: “It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.”

Epistemology

Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with knowledge. If language and knowledge, something as simple as word definitions, are meaningless, then the foundation of human conversation does not matter.

The same is true for knowledge regarding the meanings of words within personal finance. If a word as simple as money has changed over time, it has implications for people's understanding of money. How people understand money and its role will impact their financial decisions, from paying bills to saving money to investing to starting a business.

Definitions Equal Essence

For Aristotle, definitions equal the essence of a thing and why a particular thing exists. A cat cannot change what it is. This is true with human beings, whether they are male or female. The same applies to everyday things that can logically be placed into categories. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy concisely summarizes Aristotle's idea of being:

“The notion of ‘what it is to be’ for a thing is so pervasive in Aristotle that it becomes formulaic: what a definition expresses is ‘the what-it-is-to-be’ (to ti ên einai), or in modern terminology, its essence.”

Money has an essence. It is either what the modern definition says it is or what it has been thought of for thousands, if not millions, of years. The long-established definition has been hijacked.

Source: Rapidleaks, 12 Aristotle Quotes On Life That Stand The Test Of Time

Hijacking Of The Definition Of Money

Words have meaning. Epytmology shows this. Epistemology presents that fact, too. It was a central factor in Aristotle’s writings and one of the things he is known for. The definition of money has been hijacked. Along with the changing of words, many people are financially illiterate.

Changing something as simple as the word money profoundly impacts personal finance. Are those digits in your bank account money? Or are they merely numbers not connected to anything tangible with lasting value?