merci

See also: mērci and merçi

English

Etymology

French merci (“thank you”)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mɛːˈsiː/ or as French

Interjection

merci

1. (colloquial) thank you
   • 2005, Victoria Laurie, A Vision of Murder: A Psychic Eye Mystery, →ISBN:

     Rebecca Rosen, merci for helping me to understand that connection between you and The Other Side, and making the character of Theresa come alive.

   • 2008, Lewis H. Siegelbaum, Cars for Comrades: The Life of the Soviet Automobile, →ISBN:

     "Improve the roads! Merci for the reception!" With this insouciant remark and the banner he affixed to his automobile that read "Auto rally against roadlessness and slovenliness!"

   • 2014, Art Wiederhold, Hunter: Quebec, →ISBN:

     “Merci, Bob. I'll inform Lauren,” Bergere said as he hurried out of the office.

Noun

merci (plural mercis)

1. An extra card or set of cards that is allowed to play at the end of various card games.
   • 1995, Peter Arnold, The Book of Card Games, →ISBN, page 15:

     Few games are won without the merci. In the final deal a King above a card of the same suit automatically blocks the game, and the merci should be used to free such a card.

Anagrams

• CRIME, REMIC, crime

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Alemannic German

Etymology

Borrowed from French merci.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛrsi/

Interjection

merci

1. thank you

Synonyms

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

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Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from French merci.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛɾ.si/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛr.si/

Interjection

merci

1. (colloquial) thank you

Synonyms

• gràcies
• mercès

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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

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French

Etymology

From Middle French merci, mercy, from Old French merci, from Latin mercēdem, accusative singular of mercēs (“wages, fee, price”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛʁ.si/
• (France, Paris) IPA^(key): [mɛʁ.si]

• Audio (France, Paris)

  (file)

• (Louisiana) IPA^(key): [mæ(ɾ).si]
• Homophone: mercis

Interjection

merci

1. thank you

   merci pour ton aide

   thank you for your help

Noun

merci f (uncountable)

1. mercy, grace

Derived terms

• à la merci de
• Dieu merci
• merci beaucoup
• merci mille fois
• mille mercis
• sans merci
• taillable et corvéable à merci

 

Descendants

• → Alemannic German: merci
• → Arabic: مرسي‎ (mersī, “thanks (colloquial)”)
• → Armenian: մերսի (mersi, “thanks (colloquial)”)
• → Bulgarian: мерси́ (mersí, “thanks (colloquial)”)
• → Catalan: merci
• → German: merci
• → Persian: مرسی‎ (mersi, “thanks (colloquial)”)

• → Japanese: メルシー (merushī)
• → Korean: 메르시 (mereusi)
• Louisiana Creole French: mèsi, mærsi
• → Luxembourgish: merci
• → Romanian: mersi
• → Russian: мерси́ (mersí, “thanks (colloquial)”)
• → Turkish: mersi

Further reading

• “merci”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• cimer, crime

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German

Etymology

Borrowed from French merci.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛʁˈsiː/
• (Switzerland) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛʁ.si/

• Audio

  (file)

Interjection

merci

1. (chiefly Switzerland) thank you

   Synonyms: danke, danke schön, ich danke schön

Further reading

• “merci” in Duden online
• “merci” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛr.t͡ʃi/
• Rhymes: -ɛrtʃi
• Hyphenation: mèr‧ci

Noun

merci f

1. plural of merce

Anagrams

• cremi, crime

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Latin

Noun

mercī

1. dative singular of merx

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Norman

Alternative forms

• mercie (Guernsey)

Etymology

From Old French merci (“mercy; clemency”), from Latin mercēs, mercēdem (“wages, fee, price”).

Interjection

merci

1. (Guernsey) thank you

Derived terms

• mercie bian (“thank you very much”)

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Old French

Alternative forms

• merchi

Noun

merci f (nominative singular merci)

1. mercy; clemency
   • circa 1176, Chrétien de Troyes, Cligès:

     Se vos metez an sa merci
     Nus (fors le conte qui est ci)
     de vos n'i a mort desservie
     ja ne perdroiz manbre ne vie

     If you throw yourselves on his mercy
     None (apart from the count who is here)
     of you deserve death;
     you will lose neither life nor limb

   • 13th century, Herman de Valenciennes, Assomption Nostre Dame, page 7, column 2, lines 16-17:

     ceo sacez m'amie tuit cil que te requerunt
     a tun commandement merci auvrunt

     this you know, my friend, that all those who are looking for you
     upon your command will have mercy