# Business & Busy-ness...hmmm....

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-busy-ness-hmmm/304118>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 16, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-busy-ness-hmmm/304118 "2005-05-16T19:52:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-busy-ness-hmmm/304118/1 "2005-05-16T19:52:41Z")

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So, busyness is not a word. I know this. I’m aware. The question is, is there a relation between business & busy-ness? If not, there should be.

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**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-busy-ness-hmmm/304118/2 "2005-05-16T19:56:29Z")

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From [www.etymonline.com](http://www.etymonline.com):

> [@](#):
>
> business  
> O.E. bisignisse (Northumbrian) “care, anxiety,” from bisig “careful, anxious, busy, occupied” (see busy) + -ness. Sense of “work, occupation” is first recorded 1387. Sense of “trade, commercial engagements” is first attested 1727. Modern two-syllable pronunciation is 17c. Business card first attested 1840.

It seems there is a link 🙂

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-busy-ness-hmmm/304118/3 "2005-05-16T19:58:01Z")

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There is. From the OED:

> [@](#):
>
> Business  
> [OE. (North.) bisinis, f. BUSY a., or stem of BUSY v.; see -NESS. Shortened to a dissyllable, since it ceased to be a noun of state. The plural businesses (formerly also business) is used only in a few senses, chiefly 14, 15.]
> 
> ```
> I. State or quality of being busy. (Cf. the adj.)
> 
> ```

The various meanings of busy-ness are all obsolete.

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**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-busy-ness-hmmm/304118/4 "2005-05-16T20:08:40Z")

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Consider etymonline bookmarked. Thanks for coming through with the OED as well. Always the last word.