Rima Grace

I'm Samantha Fields for Marketplace.

I'm Samantha Fields for Marketplace.

You could say that the economy has its own kind of language.

You could say that the economy has its own kind of language.

There are the usual words you hear a lot on this show, like inflation, of course, growth, wages.

There are the usual words you hear a lot on this show, like inflation, of course, growth, wages.

But then there are phrases like soft landing or labor market churn, terms that are maybe a little metaphorical.

But then there are phrases like soft landing or labor market churn, terms that are maybe a little metaphorical.

So today we wanted to take a step back for a retrospective on the history of econ language.

So today we wanted to take a step back for a retrospective on the history of econ language.

Marketplace's Sean McHenry has that one.

Marketplace's Sean McHenry has that one.

For this story, I went straight to the source, sort of.

For this story, I went straight to the source, sort of.

That's Matthias Vernengo.

That's Matthias Vernengo.

He teaches at Bucknell University, and he was holding up a book first published in 1894 called the Paul Grave Dictionary of Political Economy.

He teaches at Bucknell University, and he was holding up a book first published in 1894 called the Paul Grave Dictionary of Political Economy.

That dictionary kept getting republished.

That dictionary kept getting republished.