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Etymology

salary

ˈsæl.ə.ri

noun

Origin

Latin

salārium — wages

Overview

Meaning Now

  • A fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly or biweekly basis, made by an employer to an employee, especially a professional or white-collar worker.

Language path

English → Middle English → Old French → Latin

Earliest form

salarie

Earliest period

Middle English

Journey

The term 'salary' originates from the Latin word'salārium', which is believed to refer to a form of payment related to salt. Roman soldiers were thought to have been paid with salt or with money to buy salt, which was a valuable commodity. However, there is no concrete evidence supporting this theory.

Evolution

  1. Middle English

    salarie

    “a fixed payment or wage”

    From Old French 'salaire'.

  2. Early Modern English

    salary

    “fixed regular payment made by an employer”

    Adopted directly from French'salaire'.

Connections

Word parts

sal-

root

related to salt

-arium

suffix

related to, derived from

Related across languages

  • French

    salaire

    salary

  • Spanish

    sueldo

    salary

Related words

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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.