merchant: [13] Latin merx denoted ‘goods for sale’. From it was derived the verb mercārī ‘trade’ (whose past participle was the source of English market). Mercārī was adapted in Vulgar Latin to mercātāre, whose present participle mercātāns produced the Old French noun marcheant ‘trader’, source of English merchant. Merchandise [13] comes from a derivative of marcheant; and other English descendants of Latin merx are commerce and mercury. => commerce, market, mercury
merchant (n.)
c. 1200, from Anglo-French marchaunt "merchant, shopkeeper" (Old French marcheant, Modern French marchand), from Vulgar Latin *mercatantem (nominative *mercatans) "a buyer," present participle of *mercatare, frequentative of Latin mercari "to trade, traffic, deal in" (see market). Meaning "fellow, chap" is from 1540s; with a specific qualifier, and suggesting someone who deals in it (such as speed merchant "one who enjoys fast driving"), from 1914.
merchant (adj.)
c. 1400, from merchant (n.) and from Old French marcheant (adj.).
雙語例句
1. The ride was smooth until they got into the merchant ship's wake.
航行一直很順利，直到他們碰上了商船的尾流。
來自柯林斯例句
2. "How many times have I heard that before?" Merchant complained angrily.
“我聽過有多少次了？”麥錢特生氣地抱怨道。
來自柯林斯例句
3. They sent naval forces to protect merchant shipping.
他們派出了海軍保護商船。
來自柯林斯例句
4. The new merchant class was anxious for acceptance by the old nobility.