Q. I have always wondered why members of the clergy are called "men of the cloth."
A. The answer to your question lies in the history of the word "cloth" itself. The original meaning of the word is the one which we usually associate with it, namely, "material used to make clothing." Around 1175, "cloth" took on the additional meaning of "clothing" or "dress," and by 1300, it came to designate a single garment or robe. Nearly 300 years later, the word "cloth" acquired the even more specialized sense denoting the distinctive clothing worn by servants or by members of the same profession, in other words, a uniform. One of the professions about which the term was used was the clergy. Around 1608, a writer warned of the dangers of indifference among God's servants: "Many wear God's cloth, that know not their master, that never did good chare (work) in his service."By 1634, the word "cloth" had acquired the transferred meaning in which it denotes one's profession, especially the profession of clergyman, because of the strong association between a clergyman and his clothing. Eventually, "cloth" took on the still current meaning of "clergy." It is this last sense that comes to mind when we hear the phrase "man of the cloth."
Q. Can you tell me the origin of the term "money"? Also, how did money come to be called "cash"?
A. Both of these words are almost as popular as the object they describe. Surprisingly, however, few of us know where they came from. Although our English term "money" dates back only to the 13th century, its roots lie in ancient Roman mythology. The goddess Juno, who was the wife of Jupiter, was titled, among other things, "moneta," meaning "coin." When the Romans established a mint at the temple of Juno Moneta, this epithet became a generic Latin term for a place where money is made. (From it we also derived, in a roundabout way, our word "mint.") The English word "money" comes from the Middle French descendant of "moneta," which was "moneie." "Moneie" was borrowed into Middle English in the form "moneye."
If you think the derivation of the word "money" is complicated, consider the history of the word "cash." Although this term, which first appeared around 1596, is considerably younger than the word "money," several languages are involved in its derivation as well. Our word "cash" comes from the Middle French term "casse," meaning "money box," which in turn derives from the Old Italian word for the same thing, "cassa." "Cassa" comes from the Latin word "capsa," which means "chest." We usually use "money" and "cash" synonymously. More strictly, however, "money" describes anything accepted as exchange or payment, while "cash" has a more limited meaning, implying ready money paid promptly.