The Carolingian cocio: on the vocabulary of the early medieval petty merchant

The word cocio (i.e. petty merchant or broker in classical Latin) was a rare term that after a long absence in written Latin reappeared in several Carolingian texts. Scholars have posited a medieval semantic shift from 'merchant' to 'vagabond'. But this article argues that this consensus is erroneous. The Carolingian cocio continued to refer to petty commercial agents, that is, to small merchants. Furthermore, the term's appearance in capitularies and its subsequent medieval vernacular afterlife together suggest that the term was borrowed from (unattested) proto-Romance usage. A corrected history of the early medieval use of cocio illuminates the relationship between spoken and written Latin as well as aspects of social, religious, and economic history in the Carolingian period, and speaks to the promise of language to shed light on economic realities.

Automated summary

This article corrects the notion that the term "Cocio" underwent a semantic shift from "merchant" to "vagabond" in the medieval period, arguing that it actually continued to refer to small merchants. The appearance of the term in capitularies and its subsequent use in medieval vernacular suggest that it was borrowed from an unattested proto-Romance language. The corrected history of "Cocio" provides insights into the relationship between spoken and written Latin and sheds light on social, religious, and economic aspects of the Carolingian period.