mercenary English · revision 1664

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈmɝ.sə.ˌnɛɹ.i/; /ˈmɜː.sə.nə.ɹi/, /ˈmɜː.sən.ɹi/ ''(UK)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''mercenarie'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) [[der|fro|mercenaire]]^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and directly [[der|la|mercenarius|t=one who works for pay]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''mercēs'' “wages, reward”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) which is related to ''merx'' “goods”.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) It is related to [[merchant]] and [[mercy]].^(RHWU)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ One who works only for hire, with no higher motive than gain; a hireling (c. 1386).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From 1523 the noun also meant one who is paid for his services, and especially a professional soldier serving a foreign power,^(OED 1989) which is now its chief sense.^(OED 1989)^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) The adjective followed in 1532, meaning “working only for reward”,^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) and so “greedy, venal”;^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline) by 1589 it also meant “hired”, now said only of soldiers.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1386 – a hireling.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1523 – a hired soldier serving a foreign power.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1532 – adjective, working for gain.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1589 – adjective, hired.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A professional [[soldier]] hired to serve in a foreign army.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A person who works only for money; a [[hireling]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Motivated only by the wish for money or material gain; [[venal]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Hired to serve in a foreign army.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mercenarily]]

+ * [[mercenariness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[merchant]]

+ * [[mercy]]

+ * [[market]]

+ * [[commerce]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House gives ''grasping'', ''acquisitive'', ''avaricious'' and ''covetous'' as synonyms of the adjective, and ''altruistic'' and ''unselfish'' as antonyms.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}