Today we explore the etymology of the word "salary," tracing its origins from the Latin word salarium, meaning "salt money," a payment given to Roman soldiers.

We'll look at how the word's meaning evolved to encompass periodic compensation for services. Then we'll also examine related words like "wage," highlighting distinctions in their historical usage and connotations. Finally, we'll look into the broader Proto-Indo-European root sal, illustrating its connection to numerous words related to salt.

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Etymology of the word "salary"

The word "salary" is derived from the Latin word "salārium," meaning "an allowance, a stipend, a pension." It is believed that "salārium" was an abbreviation of "salārium argentum," meaning "salt money." Although this phrase is not attested, there are a couple of theories on its meaning. One theory suggests that Roman soldiers were paid in salt, but there's no evidence for this. Another theory proposes that it meant "money used to buy salt and other miscellaneous items."

In ancient Rome, salt was a valuable commodity used for commerce and trade. Soldiers in the Roman Empire received a daily portion of salt as payment, giving rise to the saying "being worth one's salt." Soldiers who performed well were deemed worth the salt they earned. Pliny the Elder, a Roman historian, wrote that "the soldier's pay was originally salt and the word salary derives from it."

Over time, the meaning of "salary" shifted. By the 19th century, it became associated with "recompense stipulated to be paid to a person periodically for services," typically a fixed sum. This implies a degree of professionalism and/or autonomy. In modern usage, "salary" refers to a fixed amount of money paid to a worker, usually calculated monthly or annually, as opposed to hourly wages.

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