merces Latin · revision 6969

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈmɛr.keːs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmɛr.t͡ʃes]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mercēs''' ''f'' (genitive mercēdis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[merx]] “merchandise”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) Lewis and Short and Gaffiot derive it from [[mereō]] “to earn”, and Varro derives it from ⟨merēre⟩ and ⟨aes⟩ “money”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)^(TLL) Claudian has an irregular accusative ⟨mercem⟩.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of wages and of any reward.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant payment for services, a wage, fee, as ''manuum mercēde'' “for hand labour”, and in Cicero ''mercēde'' “for pay”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It meant any reward, a bribe, as in Cicero, and in Terence a rent or hire for a house or land.^(OLD 2012) In Propertius it meant a price paid, especially in effort or pain, and Petronius uses it for goods for sale, like ''merx''.^(OLD 2012) Döderlein explains that ''praemium'' is a prize of honour, opposed to ''poena''.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant reward, ransom, wages, price, income.^(Stelten 1995) In Vulgar and Medieval Latin it came to mean favour, pity, grace, and a ruler's grace.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Etymonline) It passed through Old French ''merci'' into [[en|mercy]] in the late 12th century, first of God's forgiveness.^(Etymonline) It survives in Italian ''mercede'' and Old Spanish ''merced''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of rent.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

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

+ * late 12th century – English ''mercy'' is recorded, through Old French.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Pay, [[m|en|wage]], fee, ''mercēde'', for pay.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A reward, recompense.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A [[m|en|bribe]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Rent, hire.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A price; a cost in pain or effort.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Goods, merchandise.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Favour, [[m|en|mercy]], grace.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mercēdārius]]

+ * [[mercēdimerus]]

+ * [[mercēdula]]

+ * [[mercēnnārius]]

+ * [[mercēdituum]]

+ * [[mercēdonius]]

+ * [[mercēnārius]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[merx]]

+ * [[mereō]]

+ * [[praemium]]

+ * [[en|mercy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}