Sale and Sell Are the Noun and Verb of One Idea
A sale is an act of selling. The noun and verb split apart in Old English.
A sale is the exchange of goods for money, or a period of reduced prices. It pairs with *sell* the way *tale* pairs with *tell* and *bath* with *bathe* — a Germanic pattern where a noun and verb differ by a vowel. Old English *sala* and *sellan* are the same word split by that alternation. Curiously, *sellan* originally meant to give rather than to sell; the commercial narrowing came later, which is why *sell* once appeared in contexts involving no money at all.
- An act of selling. *A quick sale.*
- Reduced prices. *The summer sale.*
- For sale. *The house is for sale.*
- Sell — the verb. *To sell.*
- Old English — *sala*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | sale | A sale. |
| Plural | sales | Sales. |
| Verb | sell | To sell. |
| Agent | seller | A seller. |
| Old English | sellan | To give. |
- The sale closed on Friday.Transaction.
- Everything is in the sale.Discount.
- Sellan once meant to give.Etymology.
Noun and verb pairs split by a vowel
- Sale and sell
- Tale and tell
- Bath and bathe
- Breath and breathe
- Food and feed
Old English *sala*, partly from Old Norse *sala*, related to *sellan*, to give or sell.
Did sell always involve money?
No. Old English sellan meant simply to give, and the commercial sense narrowed onto it later.
Why do sale and sell have different vowels?
They follow a Germanic pattern of noun and verb pairs distinguished by a vowel change, like tale and tell.