Wide context

Complete PICLE corpus of essays by Polish advanced EFL students (330,000)

/^t/An encyclopaedic entry gives such a definition of money: 'a common, unchanging equivalent of goods which marks their value and can be exchanged for them'. Its origins, dating as late as four to six thousand years ago, are connected with a sociological division of labour which found its expression in the separation of husbandry from handicraft. As a consequence, a surplus of certain goods appeared which could serve as means of exchange. Those goods which were the most transferable became directly exchangable for all the other articles and thus money originated. In the earlier ages, various commodities served as money, later precious metals such as silver and gold started to function as a general equivalent.