A good word for the day? Remuneration.
It is not one we commonly use. I, being the city girl, think it sounds like what a cow does to digest its food.
But really, it just means payment. That is all. It means, more simply, getting something in return for what you’ve done.
This could come in many ways. Your paycheck, your tip jar earnings, that crisp Benny your neighbor gives you for watching her cat. All of these are forms of remuneration.
The word itself has an interesting history. It comes from the Latin munus, meaning “gift.” That same root shows up in munificent, which means “very generous.” So, originally, remuneration carried a sense of giving, not just paying. There’s something a little bit curious in that. The idea is that when we pay someone, we’re actually offering a gift of value for their time, effort, or talent. But as I see it from another angle, if they earned it with their work or efforts, perhaps it is “they” who are giving the gift.
Anyway. People often misspell it as renumeration. And I am one of them. I even say it wrong. It is likely because we think of “numbers” and “money.” But “renumeration” actually means “to count again.”
So if you ever see that version, picture someone counting coins twice. Like some Gollum character, sitting in a hideaway on a pile of gold coins, counting them over and over again.
Back to Remuneration. It shows up everywhere, from hourly wages to CEO bonuses. Even jurors hear the term in legal cases: “He did it for remuneration.” In other words, someone got paid for doing something. And of course, that might be good, or not so good.
And here’s a thought. Not all remuneration is monetary. Sometimes, the “payment” we receive for our efforts isn’t money at all. It might be gratitude, joy, pride in a job well done, or even peace of mind.
Maybe that’s the best kind of remuneration there is.
“”””””””””””
“The best remuneration for kindness is gratitude.” — Publilius Syrus
“”””””””””””
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” — Nelson Henderson
“”””””””””””
“Work is love made visible.” — Kahlil Gibran
“”””””””””””
“It is the heart that does the giving; the hands only let go.” — African proverb
“”””””””””””
