Salary Comes From the Word for Salt
Salt is sodium chloride, essential to life. Its Latin name is hidden inside several English words.
Salt is sodium chloride, essential for animal life and long used to preserve food. Latin *sal* is buried in a surprising number of English words: *salary*, from *salarium*, a Roman soldier's allowance connected with salt; *salad*, from *herba salata*, salted vegetables; *sauce* and *salsa*, both salted preparations; and *sausage*, salted meat. The claim that Roman soldiers were paid literally in salt is disputed, but the allowance was named after it either way.
- Sodium chloride. *A pinch of salt.*
- To preserve. *Salting fish.*
- A chemical compound. *A salt.*
- Salary — the same root. *A salary.*
- Latin — *sal*, salt. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | salt | Salt. |
| Verb | salt | Salting. |
| Adjective | salty | Salty. |
| Related | salary | A salary. |
| Latin | sal | Salt. |
- Add a pinch of salt.Cooking.
- Salting preserved the catch.Preservation.
- Salarium named the allowance.Etymology.
The sal family
- Salary — a Roman allowance connected with salt
- Salad — from *herba salata*, salted greens
- Sauce and salsa — salted preparations
- Sausage — salted meat
- Salami — from the Italian verb to salt
Old English *sealt*, of Germanic origin, related to Latin *sal* and Greek *hals*.
Were Roman soldiers paid in salt?
Probably not literally. Their salarium was an allowance named after salt, but the details are disputed.
Is salad related to salt?
Yes. It comes from herba salata, meaning salted vegetables.