'shareholder' originates from the combination of 'share' and 'holder', where 'share' refers to a portion of a company and 'holder' refers to someone who possesses something.

'shareholder' evolved from the concept of holding shares in a company, a practice that became common with the rise of joint-stock companies.

Initially, it meant 'someone who holds shares in a company', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.