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

Thu Oct 19 00:13:50 UTC 2023

This example shows clearly that the original question was not accurately 
formulated, viz., in terms of location, because the location is given to 
situate the branch. I have always understood "branch of a bank" as 
'offshoot' or 'satellite' of an institution that started earlier and 
acts as a "proto-bank" of some sort called "headquarters." To me, the 
usage sounds similar to that of branches in a language family tree 
(thanks to August Schleicher?) or any kind of taxonomic representation 
that uses lines. The only deviation is that in the case of banks, 
"branch" denotes the endpoint rather than the lineage, like in West 
Germanic branch" of Germanic languages. Thinking of the question in 
terms of the verb "branch" helps answer the question. It applies to 
rivers and roads too, I think.

Sali.

On 10/18/2023 1:26 PM, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
> 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

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