Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Origin and history of transaction

transaction(n.)

mid-15c., transaccion, in civil law, "the adjustment of a dispute by mutual concession; a negotiated agreement, the management or settling of an affair," from Old French transaccion "exchange, transaction" and directly from Late Latin transactionem (nominative transactio) "an agreement, accomplishment," noun of action from past-participle stem of transigere "stab through; accomplish, perform, drive or carry through, come to a settlement."

This is a compound from trans "across, beyond; through" (see trans-) + agere "to set in motion, drive, drive forward," hence "to do, perform" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move").

The meaning "a piece of business completed or settled" is attested from 1640s. Transactions for reports or publications containing several papers, etc., delivered to a learned society, is from 1660s.

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to transaction

intransigent(adj.)

1874, "uncompromising, refusing to agree or come to understanding," (used of extreme political factions or parties), from French intransigeant (18c.), from Spanish los intransigentes, literally "those not coming to agreement," name for extreme left in the Spanish Cortes and the extreme republicans of the 1870s, from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + transigente "compromising," from Latin transigentem (nominative transigens), present participle of transigere "come to an agreement, accomplish, to carry through" (see transaction). It acquired its generalized sense in French. As a noun in English from 1879.

transact(v.)

1580s, intransitive, "conduct, arrange, settle;" 1630s transitive, "carry through, perform, manage, do;" a back-formation from transaction or else from Latin transactus, past participle of transigere "accomplish, bring to an end, settle," etymologically "to drive through." This is a compound of trans "across, beyond; through" (see trans-) + agere "set in motion, drive, drive forward," hence "do, perform" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move"). Related: Transacted; transacting; transactor.