| Today, English is the most widely spoken and | | | | United States of America as an extension of |
| written language on the planet. English was | | | | mercantilism. This was at a time when study |
| first spoken in Britain by Germanic tribes in | | | | of anything but economics was considered |
| the Fifth Century AD. At that time it was | | | | unworthy as compared to hard sciences like |
| known as the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) | | | | math, chemistry and physic and kissing up in |
| period. During the Middle English period | | | | the king's court was highly regarded. The |
| (1150-1500 AD), many Old English word endings | | | | first business schools were established in |
| were replaced by prepositions like by, with, | | | | the United States for this reason and still |
| and from. We are currently in the Modern | | | | maintain their dominance. Finance has many |
| English period which started in the Sixteenth | | | | words such as "put" and "call" for which |
| Century. | | | | there are no translations in other languages. |
| | | | |
| The number of words in English has grown from | | | | It is critical that you develop your |
| 50,000 to 60,000 words in Old English to | | | | financial vocabulary. My understanding of |
| about a million today; the largest of all | | | | the financial vocabulary is vast compared to |
| languages by far. An average educated person | | | | the average person because of my Ph.D. that I |
| knows about 20,000 words and uses only about | | | | hold in the field as well as my investing |
| 2,000 words in a week. Despite its widespread | | | | experience as a futures and options trader |
| use, there are only about 350 million people | | | | and long term stock investor. |
| who use it as their mother tongue. | | | | |
| | | | Many years of study at the doctoral level |
| It is the official language of the Olympics. | | | | combined with direct practice in investments |
| More than half of the world's technical and | | | | has allowed me to develop a vast financial |
| scientific periodicals as well three quarters | | | | vocabulary. This allows me to capture the |
| of the world's mail, and its telexes and | | | | essence of investment readings and |
| cables are in English. About 80% of the | | | | conversations that the average person does |
| information stored in the world's computers | | | | not understand. Many investors fail not for |
| (like this text) are also in English. English | | | | lack of intelligence (I am of average |
| is transmitted to more than 100 million | | | | intelligence) but lack of comprehension of |
| people everyday by 5 of the largest | | | | what makes the stock market tick. This is |
| broadcasting companies (CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC, | | | | due, in great part, to a lack of vocabulary |
| CBC). It seems like English will remain the | | | | that the common man on the street has not |
| most widely used language for some time. | | | | developed. Take the time to develop your |
| | | | financial vocabulary and you will excel over |
| The field of finance was pioneered by the | | | | time as an investor! |