Wage
/weɪdʒ/noun
A fixed regular payment made by an employer to an employee, typically calculated on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis.
Did you know?The term 'wage' comes from the Latin 'salarium', originally meaning payment for soldiers to buy salt, a valuable commodity, linking it to power and survival.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weg-
“to be strong, to be lively, to strive.”
Latin
Latin
salarium
“money to buy salt, related to soldier's pay.”
Old French
Old French
gage
“pledge, something given to ensure payment.”
Middle English
Middle English
wage
“a pledge or reward for work done.”
Modern English
English
wage
“a payment for labor, emphasizing the contractual and trust aspect.”