Origin of French 'merci'

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macta123

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India
India,Hindi
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Hello,

I wanted to know the orgin of ' Merci ' (Thank you). Does this come from Latin or Frank?
 
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    • macta123 said:
    Hello,

    I wanted to know the orgin of ' Merci ' (Thank you). Does this come from Latin or Frank?
    Click to expand...

    You may find your answer in the forgotten language of Aramaic or neo Aramaic (the language spoken by Jesus) also called Assyrian where 'merci' just means 'thank you'
     
    The French Academy's Dictionary says it is from Latin mercedem, accusative of merces, meaning salary or reward and, later, price, favour or mercy given to someone when sparing them.
     
    Hulalessar said:
    The French Academy's Dictionary says it is from Latin mercedem, accusative of merces, meaning salary or reward and, later, price, favour or mercy given to someone when sparing them.
    Click to expand...

    It's a slow evolution in meaning over a long period of time. I would just add that the current meaning of thanks probably comes from the "favour" you mention. "Dieu merci" the grace of God, God willing, favour or want of God
     
    In Modern Assyrian or Neo Aramaic if I say "How are you" = Dakhee vit" when speaking to a male. The response might be: "I'm good thank you = Spaay vin merci"
    Ref: Studies in Neo Aramaic, Professor Wolfhart Heinrichs, Department of Eastern languages at Harvard Universities.
    It should be noted however that there are many dialects. This is only one of those.
     
    "Merci" is from Latin merces, asHulalessar has explained. The French word has been borrowed into Arabic (and many other languages), and from Arabic into the Neo-Aramaic of Maalula (one of several surviving Neo-Aramaic languages).
     
    fdb, thank you for clearing that up. I was simply trying to establish what I thought the Linquistic form (as a word) is shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurance........in this case perhaps it could be traced back to Biblical usage in one society.
    fyi - I am an Engineer and operate a steel business but early on I really wanted to major in modern European Languages. Oh well - haha This has been fun and the guys have not beat up on me too much :)
     
    Ouch! My company on works on heavy industrial things such as power plants. Never bridges! Thanks fdb
     
    What about “merci” in pt. você (vossa mercee) and sp. usted (vuestra merced)? Is this related to French usage in someway?
     
    1mark1 said:
    In Modern Assyrian or Neo Aramaic if I say "How are you" = Dakhee vit" when speaking to a male. The response might be: "I'm good thank you = Spaay vin merci"
    Ref: Studies in Neo Aramaic, Professor Wolfhart Heinrichs, Department of Eastern languages at Harvard Universities.
    It should be noted however that there are many dialects. This is only one of those.
    Click to expand...
    But have you any proof that it comes from Old Aramaic? It is very probable that it comes from French via Turkish.
     
    For curiosity, also the Spanish personal name Mercedes is related to the word we are discussing now. It comes from a former María de las Mercedes, meaning "Mary of Mercies".
     
    I do not think that Turkish uses “merci”. I do not know which of the Neo-Aramaic languages are supposed to use it. The inhabitants of three Aramaic-speaking villages in Syria are bilingual in Levantine Arabic, and have borrowed heavily from French, either directly or via Arabic. Those in Tur Abdin are bilingual in Turkish, those in Northern Iraq in Iraqi Arabic and/or Kurdish.
     
    fdb said:
    I do not think that Turkish uses “merci”.
    Click to expand...
    Do you speak Turkish?
    According to dozens of "useful phrases" both on line and printed on paper they use "mersi", (not "merci"). Are they wrong according to you?
     
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    I think we have got stuck in the sand. Maybe we all agree on this:

    -merci is from Latin, not from Aramaic

    -the French word was borrowed into Arabic dialects, Turkish, Neo-Aramaic, Persian etc. etc.
     
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