merx

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈmɛrks]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmɛrks]^[1]

Forms

merx f (genitive mercis); third declension^[1] Plautus uses the nominative mers.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *merk- (“trade, exchange”), a stem also found in Faliscan and Oscan; its further origin is unknown.^[2][3][4][1] The god Mercurius was probably the god of exchange.^[2] Walde–Hofmann thought his name Etruscan, and de Vaan notes the stem itself could be too.^[2]

Compare Faliscan mercui (“to Mercury”) and Oscan amiricum (“commerce”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,^[2][5] who says proba merx facile emptorem reperit, “good wares easily find a buyer”.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

It meant a commodity and, in the plural, goods or merchandise, and Plautus used it as an insult, “you're bad goods”.^[3][7] It also meant trade or sale, as in Pliny, and once a price.^[3] From it came mercārī “to trade”, mercātus “market” and mercātor “merchant”.^[2]

Medieval texts also spell it marca and mercha.^[1][8] It survives as Italian merce.^[1] English market comes from mercatus and merchant from the related verb.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for goods and as an insult.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of foreign goods.^[7][5]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it for trade.^[3][5]
• early 12th century – English market is first recorded.^[9]
• early 13th century – English merchant is first recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A commodity, (plural) goods, merchandise.^[3][6]
2. Trade, sale.^[3]
3. A price.^[3]

Word family

• commercium
• mercalis
• mercēs
• mercimōnium
• prōmercium
• mercor

Related words

• English market
• English merchant
• English commerce

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes merx, wares already made for sale, from mercimonium, materials that can become wares.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Novum Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis ab anno DCCC usque ad annum MCC (1957–), Copenhagen / Geneva / Paris: Union Académique Internationale; IRHT
9. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper