Question

The word ‘Entrepreneur' is derived from ______ word “entreprendre”.

• A. German
• B. Italian
• C. Spanish
• D. French

Hint:

The French suffix “-eur” (seen in words like grandeur, amateur, chauffeur) indicates a person who performs a specific action. Thus, an entrepreneur is literally an undertaker of enterprises.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Etymological Analysis:
The English noun “Entrepreneur” is a direct loanword from French. It is derived from the French verb entreprendre, which literally translates to “to undertake.”

Step 2: Linguistic Composition:
The French word entreprendre is a compound verb:

• Entre -- meaning “between” or “amongst” (from the Latin inter). Prendre -- meaning “to take” or “to hold” (from the Latin prehendere).

Therefore, historically, an entrepreneur was literally someone who takes things into their hands or acts as an active intermediary.

Step 3: Evolution of the Economic Concept:

• 18th Century (Richard Cantillon): First applied the term to economics, defining an entrepreneur as a person who buys resources at a known price to sell them at an unknown, speculative price—thereby bearing market risk.
• 19th Century (Jean-Baptiste Say): Defined the entrepreneur as an agent who coordinates factors of production (land, labor, capital) to create utility.
• 20th Century (Joseph Schumpeter): Introduced the concept of the entrepreneur as an innovator who drives “creative destruction.”