mercenary

Where does the word "mercenary" come from? It comes from Latin mercenarius, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Mercenary’s story begins in Latin: mercenarius meant “hired for pay.” From 'merces', wages, the root of 'mercy'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as mercenaire. Swiss mercenaries served across Europe; the Vatican's Swiss Guard dates from 1506. It reached English by 1300s as mercenary. Hired soldiers were the main sense by the 1500s. Today, mercenary means a professional soldier hired by a foreign army.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient mercenarius "hired for pay", from 'merces', wages, the root of 'mercy'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval mercenaire "hireling", Swiss mercenaries served across Europe; the Vatican's Swiss Guard dates from 1506.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s mercenary "hired worker", hired soldiers were the main sense by the 1500s.