▁wing ed ▁staff ▁inter tw ined ▁with ▁two ▁sn akes ▁cop ulating ▁and ▁car v ings ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁gods . ▁His ▁attributes ▁had ▁previously ▁influenced ▁the ▁earlier ▁E tr us can ▁god ▁Tur ms , ▁a ▁name ▁borrow ed ▁from ▁the ▁Greek ▁" her ma ". ▁ ▁In ▁Roman ▁tradition , ▁Herm es ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁Mercur y , ▁a ▁name ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁mer x , ▁meaning ▁" mer ch and ise ," ▁and ▁from ▁where ▁we ▁get ▁the ▁words ▁" mer chant " ▁and ▁" commerce ." ▁ ▁Name ▁and ▁origin ▁The ▁earliest ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁Herm es ▁is ▁the ▁My c ena e an ▁Greek ▁* h erm ā h ā s , ▁written ▁ ▁e - ma - a 2 ▁( e - ma - ha ) ▁in ▁the ▁Linear ▁B ▁sy ll ab ic ▁script . ▁Most ▁sch ol ars ▁derive ▁" H erm es " ▁from ▁Greek ▁ <0xE1> <0xBC> <0x95> ρ μ α ▁her ma , ▁" stone ▁heap ." ▁ ▁The ▁et ym ology ▁of ▁ <0xE1> <0xBC> <0x95> ρ μ α ▁itself ▁is ▁unknown , ▁but ▁is ▁probably ▁not ▁a ▁Pro to - Ind o - Europe an ▁word . ▁R . ▁S . ▁P . ▁Be ek es ▁reject s ▁the ▁connection ▁with ▁her ma ▁and ▁suggests ▁a ▁Pre - G reek ▁origin . ▁However , ▁the ▁stone ▁et ym ology ▁is ▁also ▁linked ▁to ▁Ind o - Europe an ▁* ser - ▁(" to ▁bind , ▁put ▁together ").