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marché

Etymology and origin of the French word marché

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
late 10th century, Passion de Clermont (marched)
Inherited from
Latin mercatus via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (merx)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin mercatus
French marché

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /maʁ.ʃe/[1]

Forms

marché m (plural marchés)[1] Old French marched (about 980), marchiet, marchié (1155), marcié[2][3][4]; marché from about 1213.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French marchié, inherited from Latin mercātus (“trade; market”),[2][3][5][6][1][7] from mercor (“to trade”), from merx (“goods”),[4][8] a word perhaps connected with the god Mercury.[8] It is a doublet of mercato.[1]

Cognate with Italian mercato, Occitan mercat and Spanish mercado; German Markt was borrowed from Latin.[8][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Passion de Clermont (late 10th century) has marched for a gathering of buyers and sellers in a public place;[2][3] the Chanson de Roland uses it for a deal or bargain (1080).[4][8]

Semantic evolution

From the gathering the word passed to the place (Wace, 1155), to what one buys there (about 1160[2][3]; faire son marché, 1868) and to a town with the right to hold a market (about 1150).[2][3] The marché aux puces “flea market” is from 1904.[2]

The sense “deal, contract” is as old as the Chanson de Roland, with phrases such as conclure un marché and marché de dupes.[8][4] In economics le marché is the state of supply and demand (1853, Proudhon), and by Voltaire's time a town or country that is a centre of trade.[2]

Timeline

  • late 10th century – Marched (Passion).[2][6]
  • 1080 – “A deal” (Roland).[4][8]
  • c. 1150 – A market town.[2]
  • 1155 – The market place (Wace).[2]
  • 1853 – Supply and demand (Proudhon).[2]
  • 1904 – Marché aux puces.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A market, a place where goods are sold: aller au marché.[8][1]
  2. A deal or contract: conclure un marché.[8][1]
  3. (economics) A market: économie de marché, marché du travail.[8][2]
  4. Bon marché: cheap.[8]
  5. Par-dessus le marché: into the bargain.[8]

Word family

  • hypermarché
  • supermarché
  • marchand
  • marchandage
  • marchander
  • mercantile
  • mercantilisme
  • mercantiliste
  • Latin mercātus
  • English market

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/2, 1b
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Marché.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/march%C3%A9. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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