Kalmar "tattalin arziki" (Iqtisaad) ta samo asali ne daga kalmar Helenanci ta dā, wadda ke nufin tsara harkokin gida, ta yadda membobinta masu aiki su haɗa kai wajen samar da kayayyaki da yin ayyuka, kuma dukkan membobinsa su rabu wajen jin daɗin abin da suka mallaka. Bayan lokaci, mutane sun faɗaɗa ma'anar "gida" har ta zama al'ummar da wata Ƙasa ɗaya take mulki.

The word economy (Iqtisaad) is derived from an old Greek term, which means the planning of home affairs, such that its active members associate in producing the commodities and performing the services, and all of its members share in enjoying what they possess. Through time, people extended the meaning of home until it meant the community which is governed by one State.

Ba a nufin amfani da kalmar tattalin arziki (Iqtisaad) a ma'anarta ta harshe, wato tanadi, ko dukiya. Abin da ake nufi shi ne ma'anarta ta fasaha, watau sarrafa dukiya, ko dai ta hanyar kara yawanta da tabbatar da samar da ita, wanda ake tattaunawa a ilimin tattalin arziki; ko kuma ta hanyar yadda ake raba ta, wanda ake tattaunawa a tsarin tattalin arziki.

It is not intended to use the word economy (Iqtisaad) in its linguistic meaning which is saving or to mean property. What is meant is the technical meaning of the word i.e. the management of property, either by its increase, and securing of its production which is discussed in economic science; or by the manner of its distribution, which is discussed in the economic system.

Duk da cewa ilimin tattalin arziki da tsarin tattalin arziki duka suna magana ne kan tattalin arziki, ma'anoninsu sun bambanta sosai. Tsarin tattalin arziki ba ya shafa ta sauye-sauyen yawan dukiya. Sauye-sauyen yawan dukiya ba sa shafar siffar tsarin tattalin arziki. Saboda haka, babban kuskure ne a dubi tattalin arziki a matsayin magana guda ɗaya, a tattauna shi a matsayin batu guda ɗaya, domin hakan yana kai ga ko dai kuskure wajen fahimtar matsalolin tattalin arziki da ke buƙatar a warware su, ko rashin fahimtar abubuwan da ke ƙara dukiyar ƙasa. Wannan saboda sarrafa al'amuran al'umma dangane da samar da dukiya wani batu ne, sarrafa al'amuran mutane dangane da rarraba dukiya kuma wani batu ne gaba ɗaya. Don haka, dole ne a raba batun sarrafa kayan tattalin arziki da batun sarrafa rarraba su. Na farko yana da alaƙa da hanyoyi, na biyu kuwa yana da alaƙa da tunani. Dole ne a tattauna tsarin tattalin arziki a matsayin tunani wanda ya dogara da ra'ayin rayuwa (akidar wata ƙayyadaddiyar falsafa), kuma dole ne a tattauna ilimin tattalin arziki a matsayin ilimin da ba shi da alaƙa da ra'ayin rayuwa. Batu mafi muhimmanci a wannan fage shi ne tsarin tattalin arziki, domin matsalar tattalin arziki tana kewaye da buƙatun ɗan adam, hanyoyin biyan waɗannan buƙatu, da amfani da waɗannan hanyoyi. Tun da hanyoyin suna nan a cikin duniya, samar da su ba ya haifar da babbar matsala wajen biyan buƙatu, a maimakon haka buƙatun ne ke tura mutum ya samar da waɗannan hanyoyi. Amma ainihin matsalar da ke cikin dangantakar mutane, watau a cikin al'umma, tana samuwa ne daga ba da damar mutane ko hana su amfani da waɗannan hanyoyi. Wannan yana fitowa ne daga batun mallakar waɗannan hanyoyi da mutum yake yi. Wannan shi ne tushen matsalar tattalin arziki, wanda dole ne a magance shi. Don haka matsalar tattalin arziki tana fitowa ne daga batun mallakar amfanonin, ba daga samar da hanyoyin da ke ba da amfanin ba.

Though both economic science and the economic system deal with the economy, their respective meanings differ significantly. The economic system is not affected by fluctuations in the amount of wealth. The fluctuations in the amount of wealth do not affect the form of the economic system. Therefore, it is a serious error to look at the economy as one subject, and to discuss it as one topic, as this leads to either error in understanding the economic problems needing to be solved, or misunderstanding the factors that increase the wealth in the country. This is because the management of the community’s affairs in respect of the creation of wealth is one issue, and the management of the people’s affairs in respect of wealth distribution is another issue entirely. So, the subject of managing the economic material must be separated from the subject of managing its distribution. The first is related to the means and the second is connected with the thought. The economic system must be discussed as a thought that is based upon the viewpoint of life (the creed of a particular ideology), and economic science must be discussed as a science that has no relationship with the viewpoint in life. The most important subject in this context is the economic system, because the economic problem revolves around mankind’s needs, the means of their satisfaction, and utilising these means. Since the means are present in the universe, their production does not cause an essential problem in satisfying the needs, but rather the needs drive man to produce these means. However, the real problem present in the relationships of people i.e. in the society, results from enabling or restricting people from utilising these means. This results from the subject of man’s ownership of these means. This is the basis of the economic problem, which must be treated. So the economic problem results from the subject of possessing the benefits, not from producing the means which give the benefit.