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mercor

Etymology and origin of the Latin word mercor

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (merx)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈmɛr.kɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmɛr.kor][1]

Forms

mercor (present infinitive mercārī or mercārier, perfect active mercātus sum); first conjugation, deponent[1]

Etymology

It is from merx “goods, merchandise” with the verbal suffix -ō, in deponent form.[2][1][3] Etymonline traces merx to an Italic root *merk-, possibly Etruscan.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis and Short cite Plautus, of buying.[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to buy, purchase, as Cicero's buying from someone and buying dear, and absolutely to trade, deal in goods, as in Cicero.[2][6] Horace has the old infinitive mercārier, and an inscription has mercāssitur.[4][2] Döderlein says emō is to buy in order to have a thing, mercārī to buy as a trader.[7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to buy.[8] It survives in Spanish and Portuguese mercar and Italian mercare.[1] Its participle mercātus “trade, market” is the source of English market in the early 12th century, and a Vulgar Latin *mercatāre lies behind English merchant.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of buying.[4][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of buying and trading.[2][6][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses the infinitive mercārier.[4][5]
  • early 12th century – English market is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To buy, purchase.[2]
  2. (absolute) To trade, deal.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Mercor.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/mercor. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·