Etymologically
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mercenarius

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 23:54. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [mɛr.keːˈnaː.ri.ʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [mer.t͡ʃeˈnaː.ri.us][1]

Forms

mercēnārius (feminine mercēnāria, neuter mercēnārium); first/second-declension adjective[1] The older spelling is mercennārius.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from *mercēdinārius, later *mercēdnārius, from mercēs “pay, wages” and -ārius, with the cluster /dn/ assimilated to /nn/.[2][4][1] The OLD also allows a base *mercēdō, comparing mercēdōnius.[2] Etymonline traces mercēs to merx “wares”.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, in the Vidularia, has someone say he does not believe a man is a hired labourer.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it meant working for pay, hired, as Cato's hired soldiers and Caesar's partly hired troops.[2] As a noun it was a hired worker, especially on a farm: Varro says unhealthy land is better worked by hired men than by slaves.[2] It was also a mercenary soldier, as in Livy, and someone paid to do unlawful acts, a tool, as Cicero calls a man Oppianicus' creature.[2] In a bad sense it meant influenced by gain, as Cicero's mercenary praetor and his līberālitās mercennāria “self-interested generosity”.[2][7] Döderlein notes that mercēnāriī work not for their own interest but for pay, as opposed to the owner who hires them.[8]

British medieval writers used it of hired workers, professional soldiers, and figuratively.[9] Its descendants include Italian mercenario and Spanish mercenario.[1] English mercenary is recorded in the late 14th century.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a hired labourer.[2][6]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato speaks of hired soldiers.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a mercenary praetor.[2][6]
  • late 14th century – English mercenary is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Hired, working for pay.[2][1]
  2. Mercenary, influenced by gain.[2][1]

Noun

  1. A hired worker, hireling.[2][3]
  2. A mercenary soldier.[2]
  3. A person hired for unlawful acts, a tool.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  9. ^ 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