Word for Wednesday: Salary 

blog home

A salary is a regular payment made by an employer to an employee. Though a salary is usually paid in monthly instalments, it is referred to as an annual sum.

Here is salary used in some example sentences: 

  •  Her first job after university had a salary of £18000. 
  • She used a calculator to work out her take-home salary. 
  • Her pension contributions came straight out of her salary.
  • She was looking for a salaried role.

Salary dates to the late-thirteenth century and entered English via the Old French ‘salaire’. The word comes from the Latin ‘salarium’ which means ‘allowance’ or ‘stipend’ – or, originally, ‘salt-money’ in reference to the allowance a Roman soldier was given to buy salt (‘sal’ in Latin). 

Salt was considered a valuable commodity due to its uses as an antiseptic and food preserver. It was also sometimes used as a method of payment. Even today, the expression ‘worth one’s salt’ is used to describe someone who is very good at what they do (and deserving of the payment they receive). 


05 Feb 2020
blog home

"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."

Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's Hill