salary English · revision 126

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈsæləɹi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ From [[enm|salarie]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) [[bor|xno|salarie]],^(AHD)^(Wiktionary) compare [[fro|salaire]],^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) [[der|la|salārium|t=pension, salary]],^(MW Collegiate) a noun use of the neuter of [[la|salārius|t=pertaining to salt]],^(AHD)^(OED 1989) [[der|la|sāl|t=salt]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|ine-pro|*sal-|t=salt]].^(Etymonline)

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ “Compensation, payment”, whether periodic or for a particular service.^(Etymonline) The OED's earliest quotation is from 1377.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The OED and the American Heritage Dictionary explain ''salārium'' as originally money given to Roman soldiers to buy salt;^(OED 1989)^(AHD) Wiktionary notes that there is no evidence for this in ancient sources.^(Wiktionary) By the 19th century the English word was restricted to a fixed sum paid periodically for services.^(Etymonline) The adjective ''salaried'' (c. 1600) was first contrasted with ''honorary'' (unpaid) and, from the 20th century, with ''hourly''.^(Etymonline) Japanese ''sarariman'' “salaried worker” is from English.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 13th century – “compensation, payment”.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1440 – “reward or fee for services”, now obsolete.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1477 – verb, “to pay a salary to”.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 19th century – restricted to fixed periodic payment.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Fixed pay given regularly, usually monthly or yearly, for work.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To pay a salary to.^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[salaried]]

+ * [[salaryless]]

+ * [[salaryman]]

+ * [[salary cap]]