[Ads-l] Media request: Why are bank locations called branches?

[Dan Goncharoff]

I note a reference to a branch of the Bank of Scotland from December 1775:

In the beginning of November a branch of the 'bank of Scotland was
eftablished at Air, fimilar to thofe formerly eftablifhed at Dumfries,
Kelfo, Inverness, and Kilmarnock [340 ].

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Scots_Magazine/ut4RAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bank%20scotlandbranch&pg=PA691&printsec=frontcover&bksoutput=text
DanG


On Wed, Oct 18, 2023 at 3:21 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
wrote:

> A natural first step is to determine what the Oxford English
> Dictionary has to say on the topic. The entry for "branch" mentions
> the pertinent figurative sense with citations beginning in 1817.
>
> [Begin excerpt from OED]
> branch NOUN
> II. Figurative applications suggested by the relation of a branch to the
> tree.
>
> II.9. A local office of business, subordinate to the main or head
> office, as the ‘branch’ of a bank or other establishment.
>
> 1817 This London Union Society..establishing branches and affiliations.
> Petition in Parliamentary Debates 1st Series 215
>
> 1875 Important banks, each possessing numerous branches.
> W. S. Jevons, Money (1878) 257
> [End excerpt from OED]
>
> Thomas Wycliffe published an essay in 1779 in which he proposed the
> creation of a set of branches for a bank-like organization that would
> be closely related to the government. Citizens would be able to
> "safely lodge their wealth" in these branches.
>
> Date: 1786 (Pertinent article first published in 1779)
> Book Title: On Government; Addressed To the Public
> Author: Thomas Wycliffe
> Publication Location: Liverpool, England
> Section: On the Internal Government of Great Britain (First Published 1779)
> Start Page 127, Quote Page 150 and 151
> Database: Google Books Full View
>
>
> https://books.google.com/books?id=_a1gAAAAcAAJ&q=%22branches+for%22#v=snippet&
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> ... let us next suppose this remaining moderate sum to be spread all
> over the kingdom, agreeably to this plan of establishing branches for
> the public funds in every county town, which branches would certainly
> constitute a great many very convenient repositories of wealth, where
> the citizens at large might always safely lodge their wealth, from the
> time of acquiring that wealth, to the time of disposing of it in the
> purchase of lands or other property, and then, under such regulations,
> instead of calling this remaining moderate sum a national evil, and a
> national burthen, perhaps it might be more properly called, a national
> good and a national blessing.
>
> As to the advantage that government would receive from such an
> institution as this, nothing can be plainer, than that by establishing
> branches for the circulation of the public funds, in every county town
> here mentioned, you would most certainly raise the price of stock, and
> improve the public credit, by introducing a great many new purchasers
> of stock; who are now discouraged from buying it ...
> [End excerpt]
>
> Other early citations I found during a quick and narrow search were
> also about bank-like organizations closely associated with the
> government. Here is another example:
>
> Year: 1812
> Title: The American Review of History and Politics, and General
> Repository of Literature and State Papers
> Volume 3
> Printed for Farrand and Nicholas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Section: Outlines of a Plan for the Regulation of the Circulating
> Medium of the United States
> Date: April 1812
> Start Page 275, Quote Page 290
>
>
> https://books.google.com/books?id=nC8ZAAAAYAAJ&q=%22These+branches%22#v=snippet&
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The institution to have a right of establishing branches, wherever
> they may think proper. These branches to discount with their own
> notes, payable on demand, in national notes, or specie, at their
> option.
> [End excerpt]
>
> The application of "branch" to components of government was already
> established. See the 1712 cite below from the OED:
>
> [Begin excerpt from OED]
> branch NOUN
> II. Figurative applications suggested by the relation of a branch to the
> tree.
>
> II.8. A component portion of an organization or system, a part of a
> larger unity. branch of the legislature, one of the houses or chambers
> into which the legislative body is divided.
>
> 1696 The bare Earth..is but one Member or Branch.
> W. Whiston, Discourse conc. Mosaick Hist. Creation 11 in New Theory of
> Earth
>
> 1712 A mixt Government, consisting of three Branches.
> J. Addison, Spectator No. 287. ¶5
> [End excerpt from OED]
>
> Hence, it might be possible that early writers who were describing new
> quasi-governmental financial organizations decided to extend one of
> the existing senses of "branch" (in the government domain) to apply to
> the components of these new financial organizations.
>
> Garson O’Toole
>
> On Tue, Oct 17, 2023 at 5:56 PM Cohen, Gerald Leonard <gcohen at mst.edu>
> wrote:
> >
> > Dear ADS-L members,
> >
> > Today I received a request from Public radio reporter Janet
> > Nguyen for insight as to why bank locations are called
> > branches, and with her permission I am sharing her message
> > with ads-l.
> >
> > Would anyone be able to help on this?  Any thoughts would be
> > very gratefully received.
> >
> > Gerald Cohen
> >
> > P.S. Here are her two messages to me today:
> >
> > Hi Professor Cohen,
> >
> > This is Janet Nguyen, with Marketplace! I hope you have been doing
> > well since we last spoke for the piece I wrote on the origins
> > of the term check<
> https://www.marketplace.org/2022/08/05/check-please-but-wait-isnt-it-a-bill/>
> . I am reaching out to you because I am writing another
> > etymology-based piece, this time looking at why bank locations are
> > called branches and whether any other businesses use that term
> >  (of course, in politics, you have the judicial, legislative and
> executive
> > branches).
> >
> > I was wondering if you have any insight into this, or know anyone who
> > would be able to help. This will be for a written piece on our website,
> >  set to be published this Friday. As always, any help would be greatly
> >  appreciated. Thank you so much.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Janet
> >
> > [Brief follow up]:
> >
> >  ...And to add one note: I know that other operations also use
> > the word branch, like libraries and the YMCA, so would love if
> > anyone can either comment on: 1) Why banks are called branches
> > 2) Why any organization with a headquarters and separate locations
> >  call those non-headquarter locations branches.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Janet
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org