<p>You can try Google Books Ngram Viewer. On the bottom of the graph, there is a Search in Google Books giving access to the references. <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/M6YFz.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/M6YFz.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-28T20:10:08.117Z
+1 this is nice solution, but is there way how to refine the search better? Economics+excludability just checks if the source uses those words not whether the source is about economics per se (one of the earlier sources is some migration law that does not even talk about excludability and economics in the same section)
1muflon1
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-28T20:28:36.510Z
@1muflon1 You are right. I also spotted that and tried to add "Economics+" but it doesn't seem to help much.  As the OP mentioned a law journal, it may still be useful. I think it may work better for econ-specific concepts such as "rival goods".
emeryville
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-28T19:49:48.523Z
2020-08-28T19:49:48.523Z
emeryville
<p>I'm interested in a history of these terms, and wondered if anyone knows where I might find such a thing.</p>
<p>The first mention I can find for <em>excludability</em> is a <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/jpatos39&amp;div=55&amp;id=&amp;page=" rel="noreferrer">1957 law journal paper referring to a court case</a> (inaccessible to me).</p>
<p>The earliest citation I've been able to find for <em>rival goods</em> is <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2220531?seq=1" rel="noreferrer">Chapman (1909)</a>, but mostly I see economics papers cite more recent textbooks (1980-2000).</p>
<p><em>Tangible goods</em> seems to be a legal term, for which I can find the first mention <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/lwjrnal24&amp;div=31&amp;id=&amp;page=" rel="noreferrer">in an 1889 law journal</a> (which I also can't acccess).</p>
<p>The earliest reference I can find for <em>durable goods</em> is <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=nZ1hAAAAcAAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA1&amp;dq=%22durable+goods%22&amp;ots=dAPXn3H_tj&amp;sig=U9ha6OeWADn9HliyDFX_Kj58XTM#v=onepage&amp;q=%22durable%20goods%22&amp;f=false" rel="noreferrer">John Law (1750)</a>.</p>
<p>A secondary goal might be finding an authoritative source where all of these terms are tied together for the first time.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-27T07:56:16.477Z
I think these concepts are somewhat distinct so it would be better to post this as four separate questions. The "secondary goal" may be a fifth question.
Giskard
<microeconomics><law>
Trying to track down the earliest usage of rivalry, tangibility, excludability, and durability in economics
Translunar
# Trying to track down the earliest usage of rivalry, tangibility, excludability, and durability in economics

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-26)

I'm interested in a history of these terms, and wondered if anyone knows where I might find such a thing.

The first mention I can find for *excludability* is a [1957 law journal paper referring to a court case](https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/jpatos39&div=55&id=&page=) (inaccessible to me).

The earliest citation I've been able to find for *rival goods* is [Chapman (1909)](https://www.jstor.org/stable/2220531?seq=1), but mostly I see economics papers cite more recent textbooks (1980-2000).

*Tangible goods* seems to be a legal term, for which I can find the first mention [in an 1889 law journal](https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/lwjrnal24&div=31&id=&page=) (which I also can't acccess).

The earliest reference I can find for *durable goods* is [John Law (1750)](https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=nZ1hAAAAcAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=%22durable+goods%22&ots=dAPXn3H_tj&sig=U9ha6OeWADn9HliyDFX_Kj58XTM#v=onepage&q=%22durable%20goods%22&f=false).

A secondary goal might be finding an authoritative source where all of these terms are tied together for the first time.

**Tags:** microeconomics, law

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think these concepts are somewhat distinct so it would be better to post this as four separate questions. The "secondary goal" may be a fifth question.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-28. Score: 2

You can try Google Books Ngram Viewer. On the bottom of the graph, there is a Search in Google Books giving access to the references. [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/M6YFz.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/M6YFz.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: +1 this is nice solution, but is there way how to refine the search better? Economics+excludability just checks if the source uses those words not whether the source is about economics per se (one of the earlier sources is some migration law that does not even talk about excludability and economics in the same section)  
> **username_2**: @username_3 You are right. I also spotted that and tried to add "Economics+" but it doesn't seem to help much.  As the OP mentioned a law journal, it may still be useful. I think it may work better for econ-specific concepts such as "rival goods".  

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