supply-demand
Meaning
The relationship between the availability of a commodity or service (supply) and the desire for it (demand), considered as factors regulating its price.
Structure
Usage
The basic model of supply-demand is taught in introductory economics courses.
Prices are determined by the interaction of supply-demand forces in the market.
A sudden shortage disrupted the usual supply-demand equilibrium for semiconductors.
Etymology
The compound "supply-demand" is a modern economic term constructed from two established English words, each with deep Latin origins. "Supply" originates from Latin supplere, meaning "to fill up," which evolved through Old French into the concept of providing what is needed. "Demand" comes from Latin demandare, literally "to hand over" but which shifted in Medieval Latin to mean "to ask for," leading to its economic sense of a claim on resources. The hyphenated pairing formalizes their conceptual interdependence, creating a single term that encapsulates the fundamental market forces where the act of filling (supply) meets the act of claiming (demand) to determine value and allocation in a capitalist system.
Analysis
- supply: From Latin supplere (to fill up, complete), via Old French soupleer. In this compound, it functions as the noun meaning "the amount of a good available." - demand: From Latin demandare (to entrust, charge with), via Old French demander. In this compound, it functions as the noun meaning "the desire for a good backed by purchasing power."