different between merci vs mercy

English

Etymology

French merci (“thank you”)

Interjection

merci

1. (colloquial) thank you

Noun

merci (plural mercis)

1. An extra card or set of cards that is allowed to play at the end of various card games.

Anagrams

• CRIME, REMIC, crime

Alemannic German

Etymology

Borrowed from French merci.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?rsi/

Interjection

merci

1. thank you

Synonyms

• dankche
• fergälts Got
• tank
• vrattrus Got
• wol vergelzgott

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from French merci.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /?m??.si/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /?m?r.si/

Interjection

merci

1. (colloquial) thank you

Synonyms

• gràcies
• mercès

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French merci.

Interjection

merci

1. (chiefly Belgium) thank you

   Synonyms: dank, dank je, dank je wel, dank u, dank u wel, bedankt

Noun

merci f (plural mercis, diminutive mercikes n)

1. (chiefly Belgium) thank you

   Synonyms: dank, dankjewel, dankuwel

French

Etymology

From Middle French merci, mercy, from Old French merci, from Latin merc?dem, accusative singular of merc?s (“wages, fee, price”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m??.si/
• (France, Paris) IPA^(key): [m??.si]
• (Louisiana) IPA^(key): [mæ(?).si]
• Homophone: mercis

Interjection

merci

1. thank you

Noun

merci f (uncountable)

1. mercy, grace

Derived terms

Descendants

Further reading

• “merci” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• cimer, crime

German

Etymology

Borrowed from French merci.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m???si?/
• (Switzerland) IPA^(key): /?m??.si/

Interjection

merci

1. (chiefly Switzerland) thank you

   Synonyms: danke, danke schön, ich danke schön

Further reading

• “merci” in Duden online

Italian

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: mèr?ci

Noun

merci f

1. plural of merce

Anagrams

• cremi

Latin

Noun

merc?

1. dative singular of merx

Norman

Alternative forms

• mercie (Guernsey)

Etymology

From Old French merci (“mercy; clemency”), from Latin merc?s, merc?dem (“wages, fee, price”).

Interjection

merci

1. (Guernsey) thank you

Derived terms

• mercie bian (“thank you very much”)

Old French

Alternative forms

• merchi

Noun

merci f (nominative singular merci)

1. mercy; clemency

English

Etymology

From Middle English mercy, merci, from Anglo-Norman merci (compare continental Old French merci, mercit), from Latin merc?s (“wages, fee, price”), from merx (“wares, merchandise”). Displaced native Middle English are, ore (“mercy”) (from Old English ?r (“mercy, grace”), > Scots are (“mercy, grace”)), Middle English mildse (“mercy, clemency”) (from Old English milds, milts (“mercy, kindness”)). See milse.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??si/
• (General American) enPR: mûr?s?, IPA^(key): /?m?si/
• Rhymes: -??(?)si
• Hyphenation: mer?cy

Noun

mercy (countable and uncountable, plural mercies)

1. (uncountable) Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.

   Antonyms: mercilessness, ruthlessness, cruelty

2. (uncountable) Forgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate.

3. (uncountable) A tendency toward forgiveness, pity, or compassion.

4. (countable) Instances of forbearance or forgiveness.

5. (countable) A blessing; something to be thankful for.

Derived terms

• bemercy
• merciful
• merciless

Related terms

• mercy me
• at the mercy of
• have mercy

Translations

Verb

mercy (third-person singular simple present mercies, present participle mercying, simple past and past participle mercied)

1. To feel mercy
2. To show mercy; to pardon or treat leniently because of mercy

Interjection

mercy

1. Expressing surprise or alarm.

   Mercy! Look at the state of you!

Further reading

• mercy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• mercy in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Middle English

Etymology

From Old French mercier.

Verb

mercy

1. Alternative form of mercien
   • c. 1385, William Langland, Piers Plowman, III:

     Mildeliche Mede þanne · mercyed hem alle / Of þeire gret goodnesse.

Middle French

Noun

mercy m or f (plural mercys)

1. mercy (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another)