Some Words Related to Rēs Oeconomica or the Economy

I had been thinking about the economy lately, so I decided to take action and start by posting some terminology related to Economics here. This isn't quite what I had planned to start with; but, then again, this blog also reflects my stream of consciousness and a very disturbed mind.

I have to thank my friend Michael Nagoda for getting me into this sphere of Modern Latin terminology. He told me recently about an incident at York University where the graduate students went on strike. Since the graduate students taught many undergraduate courses, the majority of the undergraduate students fell behind by a semester or so. He told of one Classics major that was so angry that this student made a shirt that said "Strikus," because he didn't know the word for strike in Latin. This made me think about what is an acceptable translation of the idea of a strike. My research started me on the path of collecting relevant vocabulary from the sources I have at hand. The following list is just a part of what I have done. I look at the list and realize there is so much more that could be done. I will put up an other post to explain my abbreviations.


Some Items from the Economic and Social Spheres
(Taken in the main from the encyclical Mater et Magistra, AAS 1961, pp. 401 ff.)(Latin Can Be Fun, pp. 132-134.)

the whole of mankind universa hominum consociatio

economic circumstances rēs oeconomicae

the economy rēs oeconomica

a free market liber mercatus

economic power oeconomicus potentatus

the unrestrained pursuit of power effrenata potentatūs ambitio

free competition libera competitorum aemulatio

industry machinales industriae

the technical sphere provincia artium

branches of production artes bona gignentes

technical progress artium progressus; artium profectus

scientific progress disciplinārum profectus

a skilled trade procuratio ab artifice gesta

the medium-sized firm administratio medii ordinis

the large firm administratio magni ordinis

efficient methods of production artes ad res gignendas aptae; artes ad res procreandas aptae

a cooperative concern inceptum oeconomicum consociatum

the partners sodales consociati

professional associations societates ad professionem spectantes

a craftsmen’s guild consociatio; consociatio artificum

insurance institutes oeconomicae cautiones

the manager of a firm moderator societatis

the right of private ownership (of the means of production) ius privati dominii (vel privata possessio vel privatim res possidendi) (ius res bonis gignendis aptas privatim possidendi)

the social function of private ownership privati dominii sociale munus; privati dominii socialis ratio

a social problem quaestio socialis

social insurance sociales civium cautiones (vel)securitatis socialis rationes

the labour problem quaestio de opificum conditione

the workers opifices; operarii; operae

the employers operum conductores

terms of employment pactio operarum

trade unions opificum collegia; opificum consociationes

collective agreements pactiones inter opificum et conductorum consociationes

a strike (voluntaria) operis cessatio (vel intermisso)
NOT strikus

a lockout opificum exclusio laboris

class warfare dimicatio alterius ordinis in alterum

to improve the workers’ living standards operariorum rationes in melius mutare

profit-sharing lucra participare

joint ownership consortium dominii; consortium curationis

joint management consortium dominii; consortium curationis

Marxist teachings placita Marxiana

a moderate form of socialism temperata socialismi ratio

International Labour Office gentium consilium labori ordinando

ideology vulgata opinionum commenta

the demands of the common good communis boni rationes

underdeveloped countries regiones (vel civitates) opibus inferiores(vel minus bonis oeconomicis instructae)

the hungry masses multitudo famelicorum

on the face of the Earth in universa hominum communitate

the mutual relations of mankind mutuae hominum necessitudines

the World Bank argentaria ad omnes spectans nationes

Imperial Chemical Industries (I.C.I.) societas imperialis rerum chemicarum confectioni operata

British Petroleum (B.P.) consociatio Britannica petrolaria

[N.B. B.P. does not mean Bush Petroleum as many may think.]

Once again, I invite your positive, mutually edifying suggestions. I am happy to be told how to improve, correct or amend items. However, as most of us, I don't take kindly to being told where to go and how to get there. So, please, be civil and courteous. Thank you.