balance sheet etymology

Etymology:

  • Balance (noun): from Middle English "balance," from Old French "balance," from Latin "bilanx," meaning "two-pan balance"
  • Sheet (noun): from Middle English "shete," from Old English "sċiete," meaning "a sheet of cloth"

Meaning:

A balance sheet is a financial statement that summarizes a company's financial health at a specific point in time. It shows the company's assets, liabilities, and equity, providing a snapshot of its financial position.

Origin:

The origin of the term "balance sheet" can be traced back to the practice of using a two-pan balance to measure the weight of goods. Early merchants kept a record of their assets and liabilities on two pages of a sheet of paper, and the two columns were balanced by adjusting the amounts until they equaled each other.

Over time, this practice evolved into the modern balance sheet, which is a standard financial statement used by businesses of all sizes to track their financial position and communicate it to stakeholders.

balance sheet relate terms

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