Etymology of the English word mercenary
the English word
mercenaryderived from the Old French word
mercenairederived from the Latin word
mercenarius (hired for wages; paid, hired; laborer, working man)
derived from the Medieval Latin word
merces (pay, recompense, hire)
derived from the Latin word
merx (commodity; merchandise, goods)
derived from the Latin word
mercennarius (hired worker; mercenary; hired, mercenary)
derived from the Medieval Latin word
merces (pay, recompense, hire)
derived from the Latin word
merx (commodity; merchandise, goods)
Date
The earliest known usage of mercenary in English dates from the 16th century.
Usage
Word found in Modern English
