commercium

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɔmˈmɛr.ki.ũː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [komˈmɛr.t͡ʃi.um]^[1]

Forms

commercium n (genitive commerciī or commercī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from con- (“together”) and merx “goods” with the suffix -ium.^[2][1][3] An archaic form ⟨commircium⟩ is cited by a grammarian.^[2] Isidore of Seville derived it from ⟨merces⟩, goods for sale.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of dealings and relationships.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant buying and selling, trade, commerce, as in Cicero and Livy, exchange, and the right to trade, as in Cicero.^[2][5] It meant purchased goods, military supplies, trade routes, and a giving and taking, exchange, with commercium linguae “converse”, as in Livy.^[2] It meant dealings, relationship, as in Plautus, sexual intercourse, and the common use of something, as in Suetonius.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant dealing, business, commerce, correspondence.^[6] In Medieval Latin it meant merchandise, what is given in exchange, gain, and a transaction.^[7][8] It survives in French commerce, Italian commercio and Spanish comercio.^[1] English commerce came through French in the 1530s, first meaning “social intercourse”.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of dealings.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of trade and of the right to trade.^[2][3]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of converse.^[2][3]
• 1530s – English commerce is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Trade, commerce.^[2]
2. The right to trade.^[2]
3. Goods; trade routes.^[2]
4. Exchange; converse.^[2]
5. Dealings, intercourse.^[2]
6. Common use.^[2]

Word family

• commerciālis
• commercior

Related words

• mercālis
• merx
• mercor
• English commerce

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com