- salary (n.)
- late 14c., from Anglo-Fr. salarie (c.1280), O.Fr. salarie, from L. salarium "salary, stipend," originally "soldier's allowance for the purchase of salt," from neut. of adj. salarius "pertaining to salt," from sal (gen. salis) "salt" (see salt). Japanese sarariman "male salaried worker," lit. "salary-man," is from Eng. The verb meaning "to pay a regular salary to" is attested from late 15c.