ANTIQUES |
|
Antiques (Latin antiquus, old) are objects which have reached an age which makes them a witness of a previous era in human society.
Antiques are usually objects which show some degree of craftsmanship, or a certain attention to design such as a desk or the early automobile. In a consumer society, an antique is above all an object whose atypical construction and age give it a market value superior to similar objects of recent manufacture. Any historical museum makes a considerable use of antiques in order to illustrate historical events and give them a practical context.
|
COMMODITIES |
|
The word commodity is a term with distinct meanings in business and in Marxian political economy. For the former, it is a largely homogeneous product, whereas for the latter, it refers generically to wares offered for exchange.
Linguistically, the word commodity came into use in English in the 15th century, being derived from the French word "commodité" meaning "benefit, profit", similar in meaning to biens (goods). The Latin root meaning is commoditas, referring variously to the appropriate measure of something; a fitting state, time or condition; a good quality; efficaciousness or propriety; and advantage, or benefit. The German equivalent is die Ware, i.e. wares or goods offered for sale.
|
|
