Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Mercury” come from?

Mercury comes from Latin Mercurius, derived from Latin merx meaning "merchandise," ultimately from Proto-Italic merk-.

Mercury (English): A carrier of tidings; a newsboy, a messenger;...

Definitions

  1. A carrier of tidings; a newsboy, a messenger;...

Ancestry of “Mercury”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishMercurie—
2LatinMercuriusMercury; a Roman god associated with speed and...
3Latinmerxmerchandise, commodity; goods, wares
4Proto-Italic*merks—

Words derived from “Mercury”

  • mercury
  • mercuric
  • mercurous
  • methylmercury
  • Mercurian
  • organomercury
  • ethylmercury
  • phenylmercuric
  • phenylmercury
  • nonmercury
  • alkylmercury
  • organomercuric
  • mercuriferous
  • mercuroan
  • radiomercury
  • protoMercury
  • markery
  • mercury sulfide
  • mercury sulphide
  • mercurify
  • mercuriation
  • mercurism
  • dimercury
  • eka-mercury
Every word from Proto-Italic *merks →