Mid 16th century; earliest use found in John Hooper (d. 1555), bishop of Gloucester and Worcester and protestant martyr. Apparently a variant (by metathesis) of remunerate, probably arising by folk-etymological association with words in numer-<br>early 17th century; earliest use found in Life & Death Gamaliell Ratsey. From classical Latin renumerāt-, past participial stem of renumerāre to pay out, pay back, to report a count of from re- + numerāre.