The Commercial Origins of the Term Trading Volume

Summary

The document asks why the word “volume” is used for the total turnover of trades. Its answer traces the term to Old French, where it could refer to the mass or amount of something, including merchandise. It also notes that the modern French word has several meanings, one of which is a book.

To support the commercial sense, the answer cites a French dictionary entry showing “volume” used for quantities in areas such as purchases, trade, credit, spending, exports, production, and sales. This gives a linguistic explanation for how the word can describe the amount of trading activity. The document does not discuss how trading volume is calculated, distinguish volume from turnover, or explore whether the term’s history affected its financial meaning.

Key ideas

• The word volume is traced to Old French senses involving mass or amount.
• The cited French usage applies the word to quantities in trade and commerce.
• The document gives a linguistic explanation rather than a market-measurement definition.

Tags

# Where does the term "volume" come from?


# Where does the term "volume" come from?












Is there any significant reason why "volume" is the name given to the total turnover of trades?

What's the etymology?

## Answer by user59852 (score 2, accepted)

https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/68654

The word comes from old French, where it can mean several things including some metric on the "mass" or "amount" of something (like merchandise). It has several other meanings in modern French, it can also mean a "book" for example.

If you read French: VOLUME, subst. masc. Section II, C, 2, b):

b) [À propos d'une réalité abstr. ayant trait le plus souvent au comm., à l'écon.] Volume des achats, des affaires, du commerce extérieur, du crédit, des dépenses, des exportations, de la production, des ventes. Le volume d'investissements paraît relativement important et l'instauration du marché commun a certainement incité les caoutchoutiers à accroître leur capacité de production (Industr. fr. du caoutch., 1965, p. 50).

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This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.