Dues
/djuːz/noun
Regular payments or charges owed for membership, services, or obligations.
Did you know?“Dues” comes from the same ancient root as “duty” and “due,” a lineage built around what is owed and expected—language that once felt almost moral, not just financial.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deh₃-
“to give, put, or assign”
Latin
Latin
dēbeō
“I owe, I am obligated”
Old French
Old French
deu
“owed, due, what is owed”
Middle English
English
du
“that which is owed; payment”
Modern English
English
dues
“regular payments owed for membership, services, or obligations”