Payment
/ˈpeɪ.mənt/noun
The act of giving money or another form of value in exchange for goods, services, or the settlement of a debt.
Did you know?The verb behind payment traces to Latin pacare, meaning “to pacify” or “satisfy a creditor,” revealing debt repayment as a symbolic restoration of peace.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pak-
“To fasten, make firm, or establish an agreement”
Classical Latin
Latin
pax
“Peace, an agreement, or a settled condition”
Classical Latin
Latin
pacare
“To pacify, quiet, or satisfy—especially a creditor”
Medieval Latin
Latin
pacamentum
“A payment or act of satisfying an obligation”
12th–13th Century
Old French
paiement
“Payment, especially money given to discharge a debt”
14th Century
Middle English
paiement
“The act of paying or settling a debt”
Modern English
English
payment
“Money or value transferred to settle an obligation or purchase”