mercenarius Latin · revision 4604

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la mercēs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [mɛr.keːˈnaː.ri.ʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [mer.t͡ʃeˈnaː.ri.us]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mercēnārius''' (feminine mercēnāria, neuter mercēnārium); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+ The older spelling is ''mercennārius''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[m|la|*mercēdinārius]], later [[m|la|*mercēdnārius]], from [[merces|alt=mercēs]] “pay, wages” and [[m|la|-ārius]], with the cluster /dn/ assimilated to /nn/.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Wiktionary) The OLD also allows a base [[m|la|*mercēdō]], comparing [[mercedonius|alt=mercēdōnius]].^(OLD 2012) Etymonline traces ''mercēs'' to [[merx]] “wares”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus, in the Vidularia, has someone say he does not believe a man is a hired labourer.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As an adjective it meant working for pay, hired, as Cato's hired soldiers and Caesar's partly hired troops.^(OLD 2012) 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.^(OLD 2012) 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.^(OLD 2012) In a bad sense it meant influenced by gain, as Cicero's mercenary praetor and his ''līberālitās mercennāria'' “self-interested generosity”.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Döderlein notes that ''mercēnāriī'' work not for their own interest but for pay, as opposed to the owner who hires them.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ British medieval writers used it of hired workers, professional soldiers, and figuratively.^(DMLBS) Its descendants include [[it|mercenario]] and [[es|mercenario]].^(Wiktionary) [[en|mercenary]] is recorded in the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a hired labourer.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato speaks of hired soldiers.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a mercenary praetor.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English ''mercenary'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Hired, working for pay.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|Mercenary]], influenced by gain.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A hired worker, [[m|en|hireling]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # A mercenary soldier.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A person hired for unlawful acts, a tool.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[merces|alt=mercēs]]

+ * [[en|mercenary]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}