- salary (n.)
- mid-14c., "compensation, payment," whether periodical, for regular service or for a specific service; from Anglo-French salarie (late 13c.), Old French salarie, from Latin salarium "salary, stipend," originally "soldier's allowance for the purchase of salt," noun use of neuter of adjective salarius "pertaining to salt," from sal (genitive salis) "salt" (see salt (n.)). Japanese sarariman "male salaried worker," literally "salary-man," is from English. The verb meaning "to pay a regular salary to" is attested from late 15c.