commercer

Commercer is an English noun historically used to refer to a person engaged in trade; effectively a merchant or trader. In modern English the term is rarely used and is generally regarded as archaic or literary.

Etymology and origins: The word derives from the concept of commerce, with possible influence from French commercier or mercier. In English it appears as an archaic back-formation intended to describe a person involved in commerce rather than a specific craft or trade.

Historical usage: The term appears in early modern and medieval records, sometimes in guild charters and travelogues to refer to traders in general. Because of its vagueness, it gradually fell out of common usage as more precise terms such as merchant or trader became preferred.

Modern usage and distinctions: Today, commercer is largely obsolete in standard English. When encountered, it usually carries a historical or literary tone. It should not be confused with mercer, a specific type of trader who dealt in textiles.

See also: Merchant, Trader, Mercantile, Commerce.