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"Entrepreneur" is a french word. "Entre" means between and "Preneur" means parts. A indirect english synonym would be middleman. Traditionally, it was referrin
by hartator 12y ago
"Entrepreneur" is a french word.
"Entre" means between and "Preneur" means parts. A indirect english synonym would be middleman. Traditionally, it was referring to people in the building industry that set up building site with plumber, electrician, workers... So, a freelancer is not an entrepreneur. Strictly speaking if you don't have any employees you are not an entrepreneur.
- pdx 12y agoThat's interesting. So, it the U.S., we would call such a person a General Contractor. The person in the building industry who coordinates all the various building trades to get the building built.
- jmulho 12y agoIt is also an English word that means a person who starts businesses that mostly fail but has at least one that hasn't failed yet.
- Frozenlock 12y agoSame is true in French.
- seren 12y agoPreneur comes from "prendre" which means to take. So a more literal translation would be an undertaker, not as someone who manages burials, but undertakes something. (By the way an undertaker, would be translated as an "Entrepreneur de pompes funèbres" in French)
- hartator 12y ago"Preneur" means taking part.
- seren 12y agoI stand corrected, I had misunderstood your post, I interpreted part as a mechanical part.
- quonn 12y agoDon't stand corrected. The german word is Unternehmer which literally means "under-taker". This is probably not a coincidence and the french meaning is probably the same.
- karmajunkie 12y agoAs a point of linguistic curiousity, would a more accurate literal translation be "one who undertakes", or perhaps "one who engages in", given the fairly specific meaning of "undertaker" in English?
- quonn 12y agoYes.