COMMENSURATE

[Dr. Goodword]

• commensurate •

Pronunciation: kê-men-sê-rêt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Of the same or equal measure (size, length, proportion) as something else, as to receive recognition commensurate with our accomplishments.

Notes: Although today's Good Word is often used as a synonym of commensurable, the latter has a slightly different meaning: "reducible to a common measure" or, in mathematics, "reducible by the same quantity without a remainder". A foot and a yard are commensurable since both may be reduced in terms of inches (12 and 36, respectively). These two words suggest an origin in a verb, commensurate "to correspond with in measure or extent". Well, if you don't mind using words that went out of style in the 17th century, you may use this verb with impunity.

In Play: Here is a word with wide-spread applications around the house: "I don't feel that one martini is a commensurate reward for spending the entire afternoon mowing the lawn—missing the football game, yet". Not that you can't find uses for it around the office, too: "In my opinion, the current team leader's managerial skills are not commensurate with the position she holds."

Word History: Today's Good Word goes back to Latin commensuratus "equal", made up of com- "with" + mensura "measure". Mensura is a noun built out of mensus "measured", the past participle of the verb metiri "to measure". The N that comes and goes in the forms of this word is the Fickle N of Indo-European languages that we have mentioned before. The N is present in the Latin word for mensis "month", an ancient measure of time based on the phases of the moon. In fact, the same word came to Germanic languages with that very meaning: English moon, Dutch maan, and German Mond. French dropped the N in mensure "measure" before English borrowed it as measure. (Our gratitude to Brian Goff for suggesting today's Good Word is commensurate with its considerable importance to us.)

[Perry]

I have a love hate relationship with this word. It is a very good word, but on the other hand, I have never been paid a truly commensurate salary for my efforts...

[uncronopio]

Are you saying that you are being paid too much?

[Slava]

Are you saying that you are being paid too much?

Excellent snarky comment uncronopio! I wanted to ask, "By whose standards of commensurateness," but yours will do fine, too.

Now the challenge is, can someone come up with a commensurate come-back?

[Stargzer]

Are you saying that you are being paid too much?

That, of course, all depends on who is doing the commensurating, with emphasis on the rating!

Wall Street and Big Bank managerial bonuses may be commensurate with the recipients' egos, but not, apparently, with their worth or their business acumen.

I can't read minds, but I'm certain the phrase that Perry should have used was "overworked and underpaid."



We'll all have to get together sometime and commiserate over a beer or three.

[Perry]

Are you saying that you are being paid too much?

That, of course, all depends on who is doing the commensurating, with emphasis on the rating!

Wall Street and Big Bank managerial bonuses may be commensurate with the recipients' egos, but not, apparently, with their worth or their business acumen.

I can't read minds, but I'm certain the phrase that Perry should have used was "overworked and underpaid."



We'll all have to get together sometime and commiserate over a beer or three.

[In PC] My recent salary history has been reward challenged! (Especially now, as I have become a part of the statistics on unemployment. )

[Stargzer]

... We'll all have to get together sometime and commiserate over a beer or three.

[In PC] My recent salary history has bee reward challenged! (Especially now, as I have become a part of the statistics on unemployment. )

I know how hard it is down NC way. My brother lives in the Richfield/Gold Hill area and got laid off just before Christmas. He passed by one place he'd applied to before and it had a for sale sign up. Another place near Charlotte where he had dropped off a resume in January called him (and a coulple of others) for an interview just recently and, after checking his references, hired him to start next week. That kid's (well, actually he's going on 56) had a rough time over the last 25 years or so. He deserves some good luck for a change. I hope you can find something quickly!