Mercer
/ˈmɜːr.sər/noun
A merchant or dealer, especially one who sells textiles such as silk, wool, and other fine fabrics.
Did you know?Medieval mercers formed powerful guilds, and their trade was important enough to give rise to surnames such as Mercer and to London’s Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*merk-
“To trade or exchange; a reconstructed root associated with commercial dealing.”
Classical Latin
Latin
merx
“Goods, wares, or merchandise; the source of later commercial vocabulary.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
mercarius
“Relating to trade or a dealer in goods.”
12th Century
Old French
mercier
“A merchant, especially one dealing in textiles and fine goods.”
12th–13th Century
Anglo-French
mercer
“A textile merchant or dealer in costly fabrics.”
14th Century
Middle English
mercer
“A seller of fabrics, later also an occupational surname.”
Modern English
English
mercer
“A dealer in textiles; chiefly preserved in historical, occupational, and surname contexts.”