Where does “mercury” come from?
Mercury derives from Latin mercurius, from Latin merx meaning merchandise or goods, ultimately from Proto-Italic merk-.
mercury (English): A metal; Any of several types of plant
Definitions
- A metal; Any of several types of plant
Ancestry of “mercury”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Mercury | A carrier of tidings; a newsboy, a messenger;... |
| 2 | Middle English | Mercurie | Mercury Roman god |
| 3 | Latin | Mercurius | Mercury; a Roman god associated with speed and... |
| 4 | Latin | merx | merchandise, commodity; goods, wares |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *merks | — |
Words derived from “mercury”