You can hear different conversations every day. Often, you can recognize some phrases that have also been used by people for decades. One of those widely-known phrases is the “earn your salt.” It is an idiomatic expression that you have heard when those lifeguards, divers, swimmers or surfers are having a conversation. Have you ever asked yourself about the definition and the etymology of the phrase?Well, if you research on “Earn your Salt”, there are a lot of informative and interesting information that you can obtain. One record revealed that the expression “earn your salt” can be traced during the time of the Ancient Romans. The etymology of the phrase could likewise take back prior to the time of 900 BC. During those times, the Roman soldiers were being paid for their work in salarium, an allowance needed to buy salt.
Salt was regarded as one of the most significant spices long ago and it is still true today. It was also regarded as a compound that is significant to the human health. In that era, the word soldier literally meant ‘the one who is paid in salt.’
For various years, the word ‘salarium’ was the shortened. In today’s English Language, it is what people call salary. So if you say that he earn his salt, what you mean to say is that he ought to receive that salary that he earns, but it can also mean that he is worthy of the value and admiration he earns.“Earn your salt” can always be defined in simple terms. It can be understood by people. “Earn your salt” is also recognized as “worth your salt.” When you take its original definition, it means that someone who is worth his pay. This is actually an American English idiom. It had caught the attention of various individuals, most particularly those who study semantics.
Other references also revealed that this idiomatic expression has the meaning of someone who has proven their skills that they have earned admiration from other people. This English idiom is common used in order to speak of those who are making a live from the water. They are those lifeguards, surfers, swimmers, divers, and others.Indeed, “earn your salt” is a very interesting phrase that is why many people have been researching about its origin. The origin of this expression will always lead you to the Roman Practice. However, bear in mind that the use of salt as something like a barter material has been practiced all over the world.
