Ikigai Daily
WonderWord origin543 of 1,961

"Salary" comes from Latin salarium, related to sal, meaning salt. The common story that Roman soldiers were literally paid in salt is not strongly supported, so the careful version is: the word is salt related, not proof of salt wages.

Merriam-Webster

LanguageHistory

Why it matters

The idea in context

'Salary' comes from Latin salarium, tied to sal, salt. Salt was so valuable in Rome that it shaped pay and trade — a word still carrying the taste of ancient economics.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

'Salary' sözcüğü, tuz anlamındaki sal ile ilişkili Latince salarium'dan gelir. Roma askerlerinin gerçekten tuzla ödendiği yönündeki yaygın hikâye güçlü biçimde desteklenmez; daha dikkatli ifade şudur: sözcük tuzla ilişkilidir, tuz maaşı için kanıt değildir.
Merriam-Webster

'Salary' (maaş), sal (tuz) ile bağlantılı Latince salarium'dan gelir. Tuz, Roma'da öyle değerliydi ki ücreti ve ticareti biçimlendirdi — hâlâ eski ekonominin tadını taşıyan bir sözcük.

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S26 Merriam-Webster Salary

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