mercantile

Forms

mercantile (plural mercantiles)^[1] First written mercantil (1551); mercantile is found in Cotgrave (1611).^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian mercantile (“relating to trade”), found in that sense from the 14th century.^[5][6][7][1] The Italian adjective comes from mercante (“merchant”),^[5][4][2] itself taken from Latin mercāns (“trader”), the participle of mercor (“to trade”), from merx (“goods”).^[6] The same Latin family gave marchand and mercier.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1551, written mercantil, in a legal document, meaning “relating to trade”.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The neutral sense “commercial, engaged in trade” gradually declined and is now dated.^[6][5][8] The pejorative sense “driven by the love of gain” developed in French in the 18th century:^[7] d'Holbach wrote of an esprit mercantile in 1776, and Rousseau used the word so in 1778.^[5][6]

From it came mercantilisme (1811), first “greed for gain” and, from 1833, the name of the economic doctrines of the 16th and 17th centuries, and mercantiliste (1846).^[6] Mercantiliser is recorded in 1908, in Rolland's Jean-Christophe.^[5]

Timeline

• 1551 – First record, as mercantil, meaning “relating to trade”.^[5][2]
• 1611 – Cotgrave has mercantile.^[2][7]
• 1640s – English mercantile is first recorded.^[9]
• 1776 – D'Holbach uses esprit mercantile of a greed for gain.^[5][6]
• 1811 – Mercantilisme “greed for gain” appears.^[6]
• 1833 – Mercantilisme is used of an economic doctrine.^[6]
• 1908 – Mercantiliser is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (dated) Commercial: relating to commerce, or engaged in trade.^[5][8][2]
2. (pejorative) Driven by the love of gain, mercenary.^[5][8][2]

Word family

• mercantilisme
• mercantiliste
• mercantiliser

Related words

• marchand
• mercier
• Italian mercantile

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com