The literal meaning of money
The literal meaning of money is a coin or paper issued by the government to be used in exchange of goods and/or services. As money is a focal word, it has several terms in English language: currency, bonus, cash, assets, capital and bill. Currency is the monetary unit, in bank notes or coins, presently used by a country as its medium of exchange. A bonus is the extra payment to what is originally indicated in a contract. An employee can get a bonus for a job well-done. Cash means the money at hand which is currently available that can be used for immediate payment for the goods and/or services rendered.
The money in one’s pocket or wallet is cash. Assets pertain to all personal or real properties and businesses owned by a person or company. These can be converted into cash and can be used to pay debts. Capital is the money invested to start up a business or any ventures that aim to gain profits. Bill refers to the statement of account for the acquired goods and services. The English language has come up with several words for money because of its many distinct uses, importance or how people perceive it. Some of these terms are non-formal and unofficial, though.
Two other examples of focal words in English are police and home. Police is also called cop, peacemaker, officer and law. The other words for home are house, domicile, abode, habitat and residence. In some cases, home is also called territory. Focal words do not exist only in English language. The Eskimos call the snow in several different words (Miller, 1999). Eskimos’ word for the snow on the ground is “ aput”, for the falling snow is “qana”, “ piqsirpoq” for the drifting snow and “qimuqsuq” for the snowdrift (Franz Boas, 1911).
There was an assumption that Eskimo had many words for snow because they had different perception on the snow compared to other cultures. For them, falling of snow is not just an ordinary event but a significant one. References • Franz Boas, The Handbook of North American Indian (1911) Retrieved February 21, 2009 from http://www. answers. com/topic/vocabulary • Miller, B. ( 1999). Cultural Anthropology ( 4th ed. ,pg. 35 ) . New York: Allen and Bacon Retrieved February 21, 2009 from http://www. answers. com/topic/vocabulary
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