An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Markt

by Friedrich Kluge

Markt, masculine, ‘market, market-place,’ from Middle High German markt, market, masculine, ‘fair, market, market-place,’ Old High German markât, mërkât, mërchât, masculine; borrowed in Old High German from the equivalent Latin mercâtus with a German accent; from the same source come Dutch markt and English market. Modern High German markten, verb, ‘to buy, bargain,’ from Middle High German marketen, ‘to be at the market, to bargain.’ The e of the Latin original has been preserved in Suabian and Alemannian Märkt; the variant with a points to the French a. Compare in Romance, Italian mercato, French marché (whence Middle English and English market).