Commensurate

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7417
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

Commensurate

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sun Feb 26, 2023 8:04 pm

• commensurate •


Pronunciation: kê-men-sê-rêt, kê-men-shê-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 Bryan Goff for suggesting today's Good Word is commensurate with its considerable importance to us.)
• The Good Dr. Goodword

User avatar
Slava
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 8039
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Re: Commensurate

Postby Slava » Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:23 pm

I wonder what an economy where salaries were commensurate with the actual value of the work involved would look like.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

Debbymoge
Lexiterian
Posts: 305
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2021 2:15 pm

Re: Commensurate

Postby Debbymoge » Tue Feb 27, 2024 3:04 pm

Slava,
Chaos
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
Shakespear

David Myer
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1140
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:21 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: Commensurate

Postby David Myer » Thu Feb 29, 2024 8:54 pm

Isn't commensuration sometimes used as a slightly pompous euphemism for salary or wages?

What commensuration can I expect if I accept this job?

My father spent much of his life considering when the ratio of effort to remuneration is optimised. I think he concluded after much research, that the answer was when the effort was zero

David Myer
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1140
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:21 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: Commensurate

Postby David Myer » Thu Feb 29, 2024 9:21 pm

Thinking further about this, I fear I am malapropiciously confused. I probably mean remuneration, not commensuration - although it does sort of fit.

User avatar
Slava
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 8039
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Re: Commensurate

Postby Slava » Thu Feb 29, 2024 10:36 pm

Or could somebody have gotten confusticated and blended remuneration with compensation? :? With a dash of recompense for good measure.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

David Myer
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1140
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:21 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: Commensurate

Postby David Myer » Mon Mar 04, 2024 12:51 am

Yes, this is the problem with Latin based words. Too long. Let's get back to the Olde English.


Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot] and 39 guests