noun
stipend; reward; official salary
Historical term for an official stipend or reward, especially one granted by a lord or the government in pre-modern Japan. Not used for modern salaries.
江戸時代、武士は藩から禄をもらっていた。
In the Edo period, samurai received a stipend from their domain.
彼は主君に忠誠を尽くし、その禄を得た。
He served his lord faithfully and received his reward.
The kanji 禄 originally referred to blessings or good fortune, and by extension came to mean an official stipend or reward granted by a ruler. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.