mercury English · revision 10464

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1150|origins=la Mercurius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈmɝ.kjə.ɹi/, /ˈmɝ.kɹi/; /ˈmɜːkjʊ.ɹi/ ''(UK)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from Medieval Latin mercurius, from Latin Mercurius, the Roman god Mercury,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) originally a god of tradesmen and thieves, from merx, merchandise (see [[market]]),^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(Cresswell 2021) or perhaps from Etruscan, influenced by merx.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Roman god, herald of the gods: about 1150.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Mercury was identified with the Greek Hermes, god of eloquence and messenger of the gods.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) The planet nearest the sun is from probably before 1300.^(Barnhart 1988) The silvery liquid metal, quicksilver, is from the late 14th century, in Chaucer about 1395;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) it was one of the seven metals of the ancients, paired in astrology and alchemy with the heavenly bodies, probably with Mercury for its mobility.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) A messenger is from 1594,^(OED 1989) and a guide on the road from 1592.^(OED 1989) Mercury as the temperature shown by a thermometer is a later sense.^(AHD) ''Mercurial'', lively and volatile, is from 1647, originally of those born under the planet (1593).^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1150 – the Roman god.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1300 – the planet.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1395 – the metal.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1594 – a messenger.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1647 – mercurial.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A heavy, silvery-white poisonous metallic element, liquid at room temperature, used in thermometers and barometers; symbol Hg.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The temperature, as shown by a thermometer.^(AHD)

+ # Any of several plants of the genus Mercurialis, such as dog's mercury.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(Mercury)'' The Roman messenger god, or the planet nearest the sun.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mercurate]]

+ * [[mercurial]]

+ * [[mercuric]]

+ * [[mercurify]]

+ * [[mercurize]]

+ * [[mercurochrome]]

+ * [[mercurous]]

+ * [[methylmercury]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mercaptan]]

+ * [[quicksilver]]

+ * [[merchant]]

+ * [[market]]

+ * [[mercenary]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}