After the collapse of the USSR, in the countries formed on its ruins, the economy with a planned economy turned into a market economy. In this regard, a whole series of new professions appeared with names unusual for the Slavic ear: marketer, IT specialist, promoter, all kinds of options for managers, etc. All these Anglicisms required adaptation in Russian. However, due to the peculiarities of the pronunciation of individual letters in the English language, disputes arose about the fidelity of writing these neologisms. Among such problematic names of professions is the merchandiser (or merchandiser). How to spell this word? Let's find out about it.
Who is a merchandiser (or merchandiser)
Before you figure out the correct spelling of the word under study, it is worth clarifying its meaning.
So, a merchandiser (or merchandiser) is the one who specializes in promoting the goods of his company in retail chains. Such a person controls the availability of a sufficient quantity and assortment of products in a particular store. He also makes sure that it is presented in the most advantageous way.
To achieve these goals, such a specialist makes orders for goods, monitors their display on the shelves, conducts various promotions to attract potential buyers.
There are several varieties of such workers.
- Stationary Usually they work in one store all day long. As a rule, this is a rare species due to its impracticality. Typically, stationary workers simultaneously perform additional functions (consultants, sellers, promoters). Most often they work in branded stores of the brand.
- Visiting. The most common type of merchandiser (or merchandiser). Over the course of a shift, it controls the availability of products at several retail outlets at once.
- Hybrid. Depending on the current situation, it can be either a visiting or a stationary worker.
Origin of the term
Having figured out the meaning of the word in question, it is worth learning about its origin.
The name of the profession “merchandiser” (or “merchandiser”) is derived from the English word “merchant” - merchandiser. It, in turn, arose thanks to the term merchaunt ("shopkeeper", "merchant", "trade").
This word first appeared in the Middle English period of the language, however, then it looked a bit different - marchant. It is believed that it was borrowed from Latin from the word “buyer” (mercans), through the intermediary of the Norman term marchant.
By the way, this term is used today in English when it comes to trade and related matters. Although more often in this area is used not a merchandiser, but a dealer or trader.
How to pronounce learnable noun in English
Having dealt with the origin of the word in question, it is worth paying attention to its pronunciation in the native, English language.
When spelling merchandiser, it has the pronunciation [ˈmɜːtʃəndaɪzər], which is characteristic in both British and American versions.
It can be clearly seen from the transcription that the Latin letter “a” in this term is pronounced [ə], that is, closer to the Russian “e”.
As it is written: "merchandiser" or "merchandiser"
Having decided on how the term in question is written and pronounced in the original language, it is worth learning the answer to the main question. So how to write: merchandiser or merchandiser?
Oddly enough, but Russian linguists for more than two decades of the existence of this profession in domestic open spaces have not come to a consensus.
Some believe that the name of this profession should be pronounced, as in the original, through the letter "e".
Others, on the contrary, advise making life easier for citizens and using the letter “a,” since people who do not know English will still pronounce and write this term in this way.
Which option is preferable
Upon learning that the question "How to write is correct: merchandiser or merchandiser?" there is no single answer, it’s worthwhile to figure out which option is preferable.
In the field of professional businessmen and specialists in economics, it is customary to use the “merchandiser” option. This is evidenced by the fact that in most Russian financial and economic dictionaries and books the word under study is written with "a".
At the same time, the Explanatory Dictionary of Tatyana Efremova gives two ways of writing at once.
If you look at the opinion of translators on this issue on the Internet, then Google Translate will always correct the spelling of "merchandiser" to "merchandiser."
As for Yandex.Translator, he is also in solidarity with his "colleague" and adheres to the "e" option.
In the ubiquitous and all-knowing Wikipedia, two variants of writing the studied noun are listed at once.
Thus, we can conclude that you can write and pronounce the word "merchandiser" ("merchandiser") in any of these two ways. However, in the economic sphere, the option “a” will be more common.
Merchandising and commercialism
Although the considered Anglicism has still not fully taken root in the Russian language, it has been related to it for more than a hundred years.
It is a noun “mercantile spirit” (prudence, desire for profit). Like the merchandiser (manchandiser), it came from the Latin word mercans (“buyer”), and then appeared in many European languages as the name of the merchants and their occupations.
However, if in them it was purely the name of the profession, without any emotional connotation, then in Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian it acquired exactly a negative message.
For this reason, the phrase “mercantile interest” is perceived with indignation, although, in fact, it is synonymous with business or financial interest.