capitalism 的词源

1854年，指“拥有资本的状态”，由 capital（名词1）和 -ism 组合而成。1872年起，这个词被用来形容“鼓励资本家的政治经济系统”，最初是社会主义者用来贬损资本主义的。1877年，这个词又被用来指“资本集中在少数人手中；大资本的权力或影响力”。

"Capital" may be most briefly described as wealth producing more wealth; and "capitalism" as the system directing that process. This latter term came into general use during the second half of the 19th century as a word chiefly signifying the world-wide modern system of organizing production and trade by private enterprise free to seek profit and fortune by employing for wages the mass of human labour. There is no satisfactory definition of the term, though nothing is more evident than the thing. [J.L. Garvin, "Capitalism" in Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1929] 

“资本”可以简要地描述为“财富创造更多财富”；而“资本主义”则是指引导这一过程的系统。这个后者的词汇在19世纪下半叶开始普遍使用，主要指的是一种全球范围内的现代生产和贸易组织方式——由私人企业自由追求利润和财富，通过雇佣大量人力劳动来运作。尽管对这个词的定义没有令人满意的统一说法，但其本质却是显而易见的。[J.L. Garvin, “Capitalism” in Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1929]