seh₂l-
“salt, sea water”Source of Latin sal, English salt, salary, salad, sauce
Root for salt, yielding Latin sal and English salt, salary, salad, sauce, sausage.
Discussion
*seh₂l- is the Proto-Indo-European root for "salt," one of the most culturally significant substances in the ancient world. The root is remarkably well preserved across the IE family, reflecting the universal importance of salt in food preservation and trade.
Latin sāl "salt" is the direct reflex, and from it English has borrowed extensively: "salt" itself (via Germanic), "salary" (from salārium, the salt allowance given to Roman soldiers), "salad" (from salāta, meaning "salted"), "sauce" and "sausage" (from salsus "salted"), and "saline." The word "salacious" also derives from this root through Latin salāx "fond of salting, lustful."
In Germanic, the root gave Proto-Germanic *saltą, yielding Old English sealt and modern English "salt," German Salz, and Dutch zout. Greek ἅλς (háls) "salt, sea" (with expected loss of initial *s-) produced English "halogen" (salt-producing) and "halite."
Sanskrit preserves the root as salilá- "salty, ocean." Celtic reflexes include Old Irish salann "salt." The pan-IE distribution of this root has been used by archaeologists and linguists alike to argue for the PIE homeland's proximity to salt sources.
Related Roots
English Words from *seh₂l-
These modern English words descend from this root. Each page traces the full journey from PIE to present-day English.