英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

kickback (n.)[kickback 词源字典]: also kick-back, c. 1900 in various mechanical senses, from kick (v.) + back (adv.). By 1926 in a slang sense of "be forced to return pelf, pay back to victims," which was extended to illegal partial give-backs of government-set wages that were extorted from workers by employers. Hence sense of "illegal or improper payment" (1932).[kickback etymology, kickback origin, 英语词源]
rebate (v.): late 14c., "to reduce;" early 15c., "to deduct, subtract," from Old French rabattre "beat down, drive back," also "deduct," from re- "repeatedly" (see re-) + abattre "beat down" (see abate). Meaning "to pay back (a sum) as a rebate" is from 1957. Related: Rebated; rebating.
repay (v.): mid-15c., from Old French repaier "pay back, give in return," from re- "back" (see re-) + payer "to pay" (see pay (v.)). Related: Repaid; repaying.
retaliation (n.): 1580s, noun of action from Late Latin retaliare "pay back in kind," from re- "back" (see re-) + Latin talio "exaction of payment in kind," from or influenced by talis "suchlike" (see that). Originally used both in good and evil senses.