Commerce

Commerce is the exchange of goods and services, especially on a large scale.[1]

The English-language word commerce has been derived from the Latin word commercium, from com ("together") and merx ("merchandise").[2]

Historian Peter Watson and Ramesh Manickam date the history of long-distance commerce from circa 150,000 years ago.[4]

In historic times, the introduction of currency as a standardized money facilitated the exchange of goods and services.[5]

Banking systems developed in medieval Europe, facilitating financial transactions across national boundaries.[6] Markets became a feature of town life, and were regulated by town authorities.[7]