Payings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of giving money or compensation to someone for goods or services rendered; an instance of payment that involves financial transaction to settle a debt or obligation; the disbursement of funds as a part of a financial arrangement, often in return for benefits received
2. The transfer of money in exchange for products or services; a singular event where funds are exchanged to fulfill a financial commitment; the release of funds from one party to another as part of economic exchange
3. The process of transferring funds as a form of settlement for transactions; a specific occurrence of monetary exchange fulfilling a financial duty or contract; the act of providing payment in the context of economic interactions

Etymology: "Payings" is simply the plural of "paying," which is a noun meaning amounts paid out. Its ancestry runs back through Old French "paiier" to Latin "pācāre," a verb meaning "to pacify" or "to make peaceful," built on "pāx," "peace." The idea was that settling a debt restored calm between two parties, so the root word "pay" carries the notion of appeasing a creditor. "Pay" entered English in the Middle Ages, from Old French, and the English suffix "-ing" was attached to it to form "paying." Because the suffix is ordinary and productive, the form is transparent: it denotes the act or the sums involved in paying. Its plural, "payings," is used for the separate outgoings in a set of accounts.

Synonyms: payments, remittances, settlements, disbursements, contributions