pension
UK[ˈpenʃn]US[ˈpenʃn]
n
A regular payment made by the government or a former employer to a person who is old, ill, or has stopped working.
n
A regular payment made to a person who has been injured while working for a company or in the armed forces.
n
A small, cheap hotel or boarding house in some European countries, especially France.
Morpheme Breakdown
pens
ion
pens
pay
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'pension' originates from the Latin pensionem, meaning "a payment, installment, rent," which itself derives from pendere, "to weigh, to pay." This Latin verb is rooted in the Proto-Indo-European concept of weighing, as payment was historically measured by weight of precious metal. The term entered English via Old French pension with the specific sense of a regular payment for services or as a stipend. Over time, its meaning narrowed to its modern financial sense for retirees, while also retaining a specialized European usage for a boarding house where one pays for lodging.
Analysis
Structure: pens (pay) + ion (noun suffix)
- pens: From Latin pens-, the stem of pendere meaning "to weigh, to pay". Its functional role is the core root conveying the concept of payment.
- ion: A suffix of Latin origin (-ionem) used to form nouns indicating an action, process, or result.
Examples
After forty years of service, she receives a generous monthly pension.
He was awarded a disability pension following his injury in the factory.
During their trip to Paris, they stayed in a charming little pension near the Seine.