← Iānuae Latīnitātis Vestibulum
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Salvēte, discipulī cārissimī! In lectiōnibus praecēdentibus dē eīs dīdicimus quī mercēs movent — aurīgīs et nautīs. Hodiē dē eīs discēmus quī mercēs emunt et vēndunt — dē mercātōribus.
Greetings, dearest students! In the preceding lessons we learned about those who move goods — carters and sailors. Today we shall learn about those who buy and sell goods — about merchants.
Mercātor est quī bona per orbem terrārum distribuit. Quod in ūnā regiōne abundat, in aliā dēest. Mercātor haec bona portat, emit, vēndit — et sīc omnēs adiuvat.
The merchant is he who distributes goods throughout the world. What abounds in one region is lacking in another. The merchant carries, buys, sells these goods — and thus helps everyone.
Ē tenebrīs Lēšnēnsibus, Iōannēs Āmos Comēnius
Mercātor the merchant tractat handles mercēs. wares. Metuit he fears damnum; loss; quaerit he seeks lucrum. profit. Monēta money gestātur is carried in in crumēnā. a purse. Quoniam since pecūniā with money quae the things which dēbēmus we owe solvimus. we pay. Ēmimus we buy et and vēndimus we sell cārō dear aut or vīlī. cheap.
Mercātor tractat mercēs — The merchant (mercātor) handles (tractat) wares (mercēs). Note the figura etymologica: mercātor and mercēs share the root merc- (goods, trade).
Metuit damnum; quaerit lucrum — He fears (metuit) loss (damnum); he seeks (quaerit) profit (lucrum). These are the two fundamental concerns of commerce: avoiding loss, pursuing gain.
Monēta gestātur in crumēnā — Money (monēta) is carried (gestātur) in (in) a purse (crumēnā). The word monēta derives from the temple of Juno Moneta in Rome, where coins were minted.
Quoniam pecūniā quae dēbēmus solvimus — Since (quoniam) with money (pecūniā) we pay (solvimus) the things which (quae) we owe (dēbēmus). Money is the medium through which debts are settled.
Ēmimus et vēndimus cārō aut vīlī — We buy (ēmimus) and (et) we sell (vēndimus) dear (cārō) or (aut) cheap (vīlī). The adverbs cārō and vīlī are ablatives of price expressing “at a high/low price.”
Mercātor tractat mercēs. The merchant handles wares.
Metuit damnum; quaerit lucrum. He fears loss; he seeks profit.
Monēta gestātur in crumēnā. Money is carried in a purse.
Quoniam pecūniā quae dēbēmus solvimus. Since with money we pay the things which we owe.
Ēmimus et vēndimus cārō aut vīlī. We buy and sell dear or cheap.
Mercātor tractat mercēs. Metuit damnum; quaerit lucrum. Monēta gestātur in crumēnā. Quoniam pecūniā quae dēbēmus solvimus. Ēmimus et vēndimus cārō aut vīlī.
Nōmen Significātiō Rādīx mercātor merchant merc- mercēs, mercis (f.) goods, wares merc- mercātus, -ūs (m.) market merc- commercium, -ī (n.) trade, commerce cum- + merc-
The price at which something is bought or sold is expressed with the ablative without a preposition:
Latīnē Anglicē Ēmimus vīlī We buy cheap Vēndimus cārō We sell dear Magnō pretiō vēndidit He sold at a great price Parvō ēmit He bought for little
Note: cārō and vīlī function as adverbs here (originally ablative of manner/price).
Verbum Partēs Prīncipālēs Significātiō emō emō, emere, ēmī, ēmptum to buy vēndō vēndō, vēndere, vēndidī, vēnditum to sell solvō solvō, solvere, solvī, solūtum to pay, release dēbeō dēbeō, dēbēre, dēbuī, dēbitum to owe tractō tractō, tractāre to handle, manage
These opposites are central to commerce:
Nōmen Gen. Genus Significātiō lucrum, -ī lucrī n. profit, gain damnum, -ī damnī n. loss, damage
Vocābulum Pars Ōrātiōnis Significātiō mercātor, mercātōris (m.) nōmen merchant tractō, tractāre verbum to handle, manage merx, mercis (f.) nōmen goods, wares metuō, metuere, metuī verbum to fear damnum, -ī (n.) nōmen loss, damage quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī verbum to seek lucrum, -ī (n.) nōmen profit, gain monēta, -ae (f.) nōmen money, coin gestō, gestāre verbum to carry (habitually) crumēna, -ae (f.) nōmen purse pecūnia, -ae (f.) nōmen money dēbeō, dēbēre, dēbuī verbum to owe solvō, solvere, solvī, solūtum verbum to pay, release emō, emere, ēmī, ēmptum verbum to buy vēndō, vēndere, vēndidī verbum to sell cārō adverbium dearly, at high price vīlī adverbium cheaply, at low price
Mercātor a merchant quīdam certain dīves rich duōs two fīliōs sons habēbat. had. Cum when senex old factus having become esset, he was, eōs them vocāvit he called et and dīxit: said:
“Fīliī, “sons, mox soon moriar. I shall die. Sed but prīmum first probāre to test vōs you volō. I want. Ūterque each of you vestrum of you centum a hundred nummōs coins accipiet. will receive. Quī he who post after annum a year plūs more habēbit, will have, is he patrimōnium the inheritance meum my accipiet.” will receive.”
Prīmus the first fīlius son dīxit: said: “Ego “I mercēs goods emam shall buy et and vēndam! shall sell! Vīlī cheap emam; I shall buy; cārō dear vēndam. I shall sell. Lucrum profit sīc thus faciam!” I shall make!”
Secundus the second fīlius son dīxit: said: “Ego “I pecūniam the money servābō. I shall keep. Nihil nothing emam, I shall buy, nihil nothing vēndam. I shall sell. Sīc thus damnum loss nōn not faciam!” I shall make!”
Post after annum a year redīērunt. they returned.
Prīmus the first fīlius son laetus happy dīxit: said: “Pater, “father, centum a hundred nummōs coins accēpī; I received; nunc now ducentōs two hundred habeō!” I have!”
Secundus the second fīlius son trīstis sad dīxit: said: “Pater, “father, centum a hundred nummōs coins accēpī; I received; nunc now nōnāgintā ninety habeō. I have. Nihil nothing ēmī, I bought, nihil nothing vēndidī I sold — sed — but cibum food emere to buy dēbuī I had to ut so that vīverem!” I might live!”
Pater the father dīxit: said: “Vidēsne, “do you see, fīlī? son? Quī he who nihil nothing facit, does, nihil no lucrī profit facit. makes. Immō, indeed, damnum loss facit! he makes! Pecūnia money quae which nōn not movētur is moved moritur; dies; pecūnia money quae which labōrat works crēscit!” grows!”
Haec this fābula fable docet: teaches: Quī he who damnum loss nimis too much metuit, fears, lucrum profit numquam never faciet. will make.
Mercātor quīdam dīves duōs fīliōs habēbat. A certain rich merchant had two sons.
Cum senex factus esset, eōs vocāvit et dīxit: When he had become old, he called them and said:
“Fīliī, mox moriar. Sed prīmum probāre vōs volō.” “Sons, soon I shall die. But first I want to test you.”
“Ūterque vestrum centum nummōs accipiet.” “Each of you will receive a hundred coins.”
“Quī post annum plūs habēbit, is patrimōnium meum accipiet.” “He who will have more after a year, he will receive my inheritance.”
Prīmus fīlius dīxit: “Ego mercēs emam et vēndam!” The first son said: “I shall buy and sell goods!”
“Vīlī emam; cārō vēndam. Lucrum sīc faciam!” “I shall buy cheap; I shall sell dear. Thus I shall make profit!”
Secundus fīlius dīxit: “Ego pecūniam servābō.” The second son said: “I shall keep the money.”
“Nihil emam, nihil vēndam. Sīc damnum nōn faciam!” “I shall buy nothing, I shall sell nothing. Thus I shall not make loss!”
Post annum redīērunt. After a year they returned.
Prīmus fīlius laetus dīxit: “Pater, centum nummōs accēpī; nunc ducentōs habeō!” The first son, happy, said: “Father, I received a hundred coins; now I have two hundred!”
Secundus fīlius trīstis dīxit: “Pater, centum nummōs accēpī; nunc nōnāgintā habeō.” The second son, sad, said: “Father, I received a hundred coins; now I have ninety.”
“Nihil ēmī, nihil vēndidī — sed cibum emere dēbuī ut vīverem!” “I bought nothing, I sold nothing — but I had to buy food so that I might live!”
Pater dīxit: “Vidēsne, fīlī?” The father said: “Do you see, son?”
“Quī nihil facit, nihil lucrī facit. Immō, damnum facit!” “He who does nothing makes no profit. Indeed, he makes loss!”
“Pecūnia quae nōn movētur moritur; pecūnia quae labōrat crēscit!” “Money which is not moved dies; money which works grows!”
Haec fābula docet: Quī damnum nimis metuit, lucrum numquam faciet. This fable teaches: He who fears loss too much will never make profit.
Mercātor quīdam dīves duōs fīliōs habēbat. Cum senex factus esset, eōs vocāvit et dīxit:
“Fīliī, mox moriar. Sed prīmum probāre vōs volō. Ūterque vestrum centum nummōs accipiet. Quī post annum plūs habēbit, is patrimōnium meum accipiet.”
Prīmus fīlius dīxit: “Ego mercēs emam et vēndam! Vīlī emam; cārō vēndam. Lucrum sīc faciam!”
Secundus fīlius dīxit: “Ego pecūniam servābō. Nihil emam, nihil vēndam. Sīc damnum nōn faciam!”
Post annum redīērunt.
Prīmus fīlius laetus dīxit: “Pater, centum nummōs accēpī; nunc ducentōs habeō!”
Secundus fīlius trīstis dīxit: “Pater, centum nummōs accēpī; nunc nōnāgintā habeō. Nihil ēmī, nihil vēndidī — sed cibum emere dēbuī ut vīverem!”
Pater dīxit: “Vidēsne, fīlī? Quī nihil facit, nihil lucrī facit. Immō, damnum facit! Pecūnia quae nōn movētur moritur; pecūnia quae labōrat crēscit!”
Haec fābula docet: Quī damnum nimis metuit, lucrum numquam faciet.
Dē Argūmentō:
This fable teaches that money must circulate to grow. The cautious son who avoided all risk actually lost money (through living expenses), while the enterprising son who accepted risk made a profit.
Grammatica Nōtanda: -
Cum + pluperfect subjunctive: cum senex factus esset — “when he had become old” (circumstantial). -
Ablative of price: vīlī emam, cārō vēndam — “I shall buy cheap,” “I shall sell dear.” -
Purpose clause: ut vīverem — “so that I might live.” -
Partitive genitive: nihil lucrī — “nothing of profit” = “no profit.”
Vocabula Fābulae:
Vocābulum Pars Ōrātiōnis Significātiō dīves, dīvitis adiectīvum rich probō, probāre verbum to test, prove ūterque, utraque prōnōmen each of two patrimōnium, -ī (n.) nōmen inheritance servō, servāre verbum to keep, preserve redeō, redīre, rediī verbum to return ducentī, -ae, -a numerāle two hundred nōnāgintā numerāle ninety
DISCIPULUS: Magister, master, cūr why hominēs people mercātūram trade faciunt? do?
MAGISTER: Quia because nōn not omnia all things ubīque everywhere abundant! abound! In in ūnā one regiōne region vīnum wine abundat, abounds, frūmentum grain dēest. is lacking. In in aliā another frūmentum grain abundat, abounds, vīnum wine dēest. is lacking. Mercātor the merchant ē from regiōne the region ubi where abundat it abounds ad to regiōnem the region ubi where dēest it is lacking mercēs goods portat. carries.
DISCIPULUS: Cūr why mercātor the merchant lucrum profit facit? makes?
MAGISTER: Quia because labōrat he labors et and perīculum risk suscipit! undertakes! Mercēs goods emere, to buy, portāre, to carry, custōdīre, to guard, vēndere to sell — haec — these omnia all labōrem labor postulant. demand. Et and sī if nāvis the ship naufragium shipwreck facit, makes, mercēs the goods āmittuntur! are lost! Mercātor the merchant perīculum the risk suscipit; undertakes; ideō therefore lucrum profit merētur. he deserves.
DISCIPULUS: Quid what est is pretium the price iūstum? just?
MAGISTER: Pretium the price iūstum just est is quod what et both emptor the buyer et and vēnditor the seller libenter willingly acceptant. accept. Sī if alter one alterum the other cōgit forces aut or dēcipit, deceives, pretium the price iniūstum unjust est. is. Fraudāre to cheat semper always malum evil est! is!
DISCIPULUS: Unde whence venit comes pecūnia? money?
MAGISTER: Ōlim once hominēs people mercēs goods prō for mercibus goods permūtābant. were exchanging. Sed but hoc this difficile difficult erat! was! Ideō therefore rem a thing invēnērunt they invented quae which omnium of all rērum things valōrem the value metiātur might measure — prīmum — first pecudēs, cattle, deinde then metalla metals — aurum, — gold, argentum, silver, aes. bronze. Ex from metallīs metals nummī coins factī made sunt were — et — and ecce behold pecūnia! money!
DISCIPULUS: Magister, cūr hominēs mercātūram faciunt? Master, why do people do trade?
MAGISTER: Quia nōn omnia ubīque abundant! Because not all things abound everywhere!
In ūnā regiōne vīnum abundat, frūmentum dēest. In one region wine abounds, grain is lacking.
In aliā frūmentum abundat, vīnum dēest. In another grain abounds, wine is lacking.
Mercātor ē regiōne ubi abundat ad regiōnem ubi dēest mercēs portat. The merchant carries goods from the region where it abounds to the region where it is lacking.
DISCIPULUS: Cūr mercātor lucrum facit? Why does the merchant make profit?
MAGISTER: Quia labōrat et perīculum suscipit! Because he labors and undertakes risk!
Mercēs emere, portāre, custōdīre, vēndere — haec omnia labōrem postulant. To buy, to carry, to guard, to sell goods — all these demand labor.
Et sī nāvis naufragium facit, mercēs āmittuntur! And if the ship makes shipwreck, the goods are lost!
Mercātor perīculum suscipit; ideō lucrum merētur. The merchant undertakes the risk; therefore he deserves profit.
DISCIPULUS: Quid est pretium iūstum? What is the just price?
MAGISTER: Pretium iūstum est quod et emptor et vēnditor libenter acceptant. The just price is what both the buyer and the seller willingly accept.
Sī alter alterum cōgit aut dēcipit, pretium iniūstum est. If one forces or deceives the other, the price is unjust.
Fraudāre semper malum est! To cheat is always evil!
DISCIPULUS: Unde venit pecūnia? Whence comes money?
MAGISTER: Ōlim hominēs mercēs prō mercibus permūtābant. Once people were exchanging goods for goods.
Sed hoc difficile erat! But this was difficult!
Ideō rem invēnērunt quae omnium rērum valōrem metiātur. Therefore they invented a thing which might measure the value of all things.
Prīmum pecudēs, deinde metalla — aurum, argentum, aes. First cattle, then metals — gold, silver, bronze.
Ex metallīs nummī factī sunt — et ecce pecūnia! From metals coins were made — and behold money!
DISCIPULUS: Magister, cūr hominēs mercātūram faciunt?
MAGISTER: Quia nōn omnia ubīque abundant! In ūnā regiōne vīnum abundat, frūmentum dēest. In aliā frūmentum abundat, vīnum dēest. Mercātor ē regiōne ubi abundat ad regiōnem ubi dēest mercēs portat.
DISCIPULUS: Cūr mercātor lucrum facit?
MAGISTER: Quia labōrat et perīculum suscipit! Mercēs emere, portāre, custōdīre, vēndere — haec omnia labōrem postulant. Et sī nāvis naufragium facit, mercēs āmittuntur! Mercātor perīculum suscipit; ideō lucrum merētur.
DISCIPULUS: Quid est pretium iūstum?
MAGISTER: Pretium iūstum est quod et emptor et vēnditor libenter acceptant. Sī alter alterum cōgit aut dēcipit, pretium iniūstum est. Fraudāre semper malum est!
DISCIPULUS: Unde venit pecūnia?
MAGISTER: Ōlim hominēs mercēs prō mercibus permūtābant. Sed hoc difficile erat! Ideō rem invēnērunt quae omnium rērum valōrem metiātur — prīmum pecudēs, deinde metalla — aurum, argentum, aes. Ex metallīs nummī factī sunt — et ecce pecūnia!
Dē Argūmentō Paedagōgicō:
This colloquium explains why trade exists (regional differences), why merchants deserve profit (labor and risk), what constitutes a just price (willing agreement), and how money developed from barter.
Grammatica Nōtanda: -
Relative clause of purpose: quae... metiātur — “which might measure” (subjunctive). -
Reciprocal alter... alterum: — “one... the other.” -
Etymology: pecūnia from pecus (cattle) — cattle were the original wealth.
Match:
Verbum Significātiō 1. emō a. to sell 2. vēndō b. to pay 3. solvō c. to owe 4. dēbeō d. to buy
Translate: -
Ēmimus vīlī = __________ -
Vēndimus cārō = __________
-
lucrum = __________ -
damnum = __________ -
Quaerit lucrum = __________ -
Metuit damnum = __________
-
The merchant handles wares. -
He fears loss. -
He seeks profit. -
We buy cheap and sell dear.
-
Monēta gestātur in crumēnā. -
Pecūniā quae dēbēmus solvimus. -
Quī damnum nimis metuit, lucrum numquam faciet.
-
Mercātor tractat mercēs. The merchant handles wares. -
Metuit damnum; quaerit lucrum. He fears loss; he seeks profit. -
Ēmimus et vēndimus cārō aut vīlī. We buy and sell dear or cheap. -
Pecūnia quae labōrat crēscit. Money which works grows.
-
d (emō = to buy) -
a (vēndō = to sell) -
b (solvō = to pay) -
c (dēbeō = to owe)
-
Ēmimus vīlī = We buy cheap -
Vēndimus cārō = We sell dear
-
lucrum = profit, gain -
damnum = loss, damage -
Quaerit lucrum = He seeks profit -
Metuit damnum = He fears loss
-
Mercātor mercēs tractat. -
Damnum metuit. -
Lucrum quaerit. -
Vīlī ēmimus et cārō vēndimus.
-
Money is carried in a purse. -
With money we pay the things which we owe. -
He who fears loss too much will never make profit.
In proximā lectiōne dē opificibus textīlibus discēmus! Nētrīx net ē līnō. Textor texit linteum. Sartor mēnsūrat vestēs. Sūtor suit calceōs. Ā commerciō ad artēs textīlēs trānsībimus — quōmodo vestīmenta nostra fiunt!
In the next lesson we shall learn about textile workers! The spinster spins from linen. The weaver weaves cloth. The tailor measures clothes. The shoemaker sews shoes. We shall cross from commerce to textile arts — how our garments are made!
Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Comēniō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
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