adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
mercēnārius
mercēnārius (feminine mercēnāria, neuter mercēnārium)
Classical[mɛr.keːˈnaː.ri.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[mer.t͡ʃeˈnaː.ri.us]
mercēnnārius
Meaning
- adjectivehired for pay
- adjectivemercenary
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Mercenarii · Operarii · Operæ
Mercenarii mean laborers as far as they work, not for their own interest, but for pay, in opp. to the proprietor, who hires their services; whereas operarii and operæ, as far as they undertake to perform for others, a mere mechanical work, in opp. to the principal or director, who gives out the plan. Mercenarii refer to the motive; operarii, to the art employed being of an inferior sort. (vi. 217.)
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | mercēnārius | mercēnāria mercēnnāria | mercēnārium mercēnnārium |
| genitive | mercēnāriī mercēnnāriī | mercēnāriae mercēnnāriae | mercēnāriī mercēnnāriī |
| dative | mercēnāriō mercēnnāriō | mercēnāriae mercēnnāriae | mercēnāriō mercēnnāriō |
| accusative | mercēnārium mercēnnārium | mercēnāriam mercēnnāriam | mercēnārium mercēnnārium |
| ablative | mercēnāriō mercēnnāriō | mercēnāriā mercēnnāriā | mercēnāriō mercēnnāriō |
| vocative | mercēnārie mercēnnārie | mercēnāria mercēnnāria | mercēnārium mercēnnārium |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | mercēnāriī mercēnnāriī | mercēnāriae mercēnnāriae | mercēnāria mercēnnāria |
| genitive | mercēnāriōrum mercēnnāriōrum | mercēnāriārum mercēnnāriārum | mercēnāriōrum mercēnnāriōrum |
| dative | mercēnāriīs mercēnnāriīs | mercēnāriīs mercēnnāriīs | mercēnāriīs mercēnnāriīs |
| accusative | mercēnāriōs mercēnnāriōs | mercēnāriās mercēnnāriās | mercēnāria mercēnnāria |
| ablative | mercēnāriīs mercēnnāriīs | mercēnāriīs mercēnnāriīs | mercēnāriīs mercēnnāriīs |
| vocative | mercēnāriī mercēnnāriī | mercēnāriae mercēnnāriae | mercēnāria mercēnnāria |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- milites mercennarii or exercitus conducticius
- mercenary troops.
mercēnārĭus (in old MSS. written mercennarius), a, um, adj. id.,
I. that does any thing for reward or pay; hired for money, wages, or pay; paid, hired, mercenary (opp. to gratuitus, without pay, gratuitous).
I. Adj.
A. Of persons:
comes, Cic. Pis. 21, 49: miles, Liv. 24, 49: testes, hired, bribed, Cic. Fam. 3, 11, 3: praetor, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 21, § 54.—B. Of inanim. and abstr. things:
mercenaria arma, Liv. 30, 8: liberalitas gratuitane est, an mercenaria? Cic. Leg. 1, 18, 48: ancilla mercenariae stipis, Plin. 10, 63, 83, § 172: vincla, his hireling fetters, i. e. his salaried office of praeco, which kept him confined, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 67. —II. Subst.: mercēnārĭus, ii, m., a hireling, hired servant:
tuus mercenarius, Plaut. Poen. 2, 1, 55: non male praecipiunt, qui ita jubent uti servis, ut mercenariis, Cic. Off. 1, 13, 41: illiberales et sordidi quaestus mercenariorum, id. ib. 1, 42, 150: Oppionici, id. Clu. 59, 163: servus perpetuus mercenarius est, i. e. eye-server, Sen. Ben. 3, 22, 1.Origins
From *mercēdnārius/*mercēdinārius, from Latin mercēs. Compare mercēdonius.
Descendants
- Catalanmercenari
- Frenchmercenaire
- Romanianmercenarfrom French mercenaire
- Italianmercenaio
- Italianmercenario
- Englishmercenaryfrom Middle English mercenarye
- Occitanmercenari
- Portuguesemarceneiro
- Portuguesemercenário
- Spanishmercenario