mercê

Mercê is a noun used in Portuguese and Galician with several related meanings centered on the ideas of mercy, favor, and grant. It can denote mercy or clemency in religious or moral contexts, or a specific favor, boon, or privilege granted by someone in a position of authority, such as a sovereign, noble, or church official. In historical and legal documents, mercê often referred to a benevolence or concession conferred by a superior.

Etymology and cognates: mercê derives from Latin mercedem, meaning reward, favor, or wage, passing into Romance languages with the sense of mercy or privilege. Related forms appear in Spanish as merced and in other Iberian languages, reflecting a common root for “favor” or “grace.”

Usage and senses: The principal senses are (1) mercy or clemency, especially in religious or ethical discourse; (2) a favor, grant, or privilege granted by a ruler, church, or other authority; (3) a phrase such as à mercê, meaning at the mercy of someone or something, often used to indicate vulnerability or lack of control. The plural mercês can appear in historical texts to refer to multiple favors or endowments.

Modern Portuguese use: Today, mercê is comparatively archaic and mostly confined to literary, historical, or religious contexts. In everyday language, terms like misericórdia, favor, or concessão are more common. The expression ficar/estar à mercê de remains a standard, widely understood idiom meaning to be at someone’s, or circumstances’, mercy.

See also: merced (Spanish) as a cognate concept; misericórdia (mercy in a religious or ethical sense).