Definition of entrepreneurship ‘Entrepreneur’ as ‘Under Taker’: Cultural definitions

Have you ever wondered why we use the French word entrepreneur instead of the original, proper English word?

What is the definition of entrepreneur? The word entrepreneur is derived from the French entreprendre, meaning ‘to take in between’, or ‘to undertake’. English doesn’t really have its own word for entrepreneur — or better said, it once had such a word but tragically lost it.

Is an entrepreneur a funeral director?

The originator of the word is the Irishman living in France Richard Cantillon’s in his book Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en General (1755). When his book, originally written in French, was translated back into his native English, ‘entrepreneur’ was translated as ‘Under Taker’.

We use the French word in English because the proper word for entrepreneur, ‘undertaker’ (someone who undertakes, a word used by the original theorists of entrepreneurship), is now used by another profession. Undertakers today are morticians and funeral directors! Such is the ever-changing definition of entrepreneurship.

As a linguist and videographer, I combine those skills to put together a video that covers how the word entrepreneur is used in various world languages. One thing is…