Commerce
Commerce is the exchange of goods and services, especially on a large scale. Etymology. The English-language word "commerce" has been derived from the Latin word "commercium", from "com" ("together") and "merx" ("merchandise"). History. Historian Peter Watson and Ramesh Manickam date the history of long-distance commerce from 150,000 years ago. In historic times, the introduction of currency as a standardized money facilitated the exchange of goods and services. Banking systems developed in medieval Europe, facilitating financial transactions across national boundaries. Markets became a feature of town life, and were regulated by town authorities.