Other forms: merchants
A merchant is a trader who bought and sold goods, often abroad. A wool merchant, merchant ships, the merchant class.
Merchants built the first great trading cities and the first banks, because long-distance trade needs credit. The merchant navy is the civilian shipping fleet. The Latin behind it is mercari, to trade, which is also behind market and commerce.
1nounmerchantA trader who buys and sells goods.
“The rich merchant made his fortune selling silk and spices from the East.”
merchant is a trader.
Latin mercari means to trade, from merx, goods. Market, commerce and mercy come from the same trading.
Latin
mercāns
Anglo-Norman
marchaunt
Middle English
marchaunt
English, today
merchant
Built from
From Middle English marchaunt, from Anglo-Norman marchaunt, from Latin mercāns. From Middle English marchaunt, from Anglo-Norman marchaunt, from mercans, from the verb mercor (“to trade, deal, sell”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA