hire vs pay

hire

verb
  • To exchange the services of for remuneration. 

  • To occupy premises in exchange for rent. 

  • To employ; to obtain the services of (a person) in exchange for remuneration; to give someone a job. 

  • To accept employment. 

  • To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment. 

  • To accomplish by paying for services. 

  • (neologism) (in the Jobs-to-be-Done Theory) To buy something in order for it to perform a function, to do a job 

noun
  • Payment for the temporary use of something. 

  • A person who has been hired, especially in a cohort. 

  • The state of being hired, or having a job; employment. 

pay

verb
  • To give money or other compensation to in exchange for goods or services. 

  • To discharge an obligation or debt. 

  • To cover (the bottom of a vessel, a seam, a spar, etc.) with tar or pitch, or a waterproof composition of tallow, resin, etc.; to smear. 

  • To be profitable or worth the effort. 

  • To admit that a joke, punchline, etc., was funny. 

  • To suffer consequences. 

  • To discharge, as a debt or other obligation, by giving or doing what is due or required. 

  • To be profitable for. 

  • To give (something else than money). 

noun
  • Money given in return for work; salary or wages. 

adj
  • Operable or accessible on deposit of coins. 

  • Pertaining to or requiring payment. 

How often have the words hire and pay occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )