English
saltness
Saltness comes from Old English sealt ‘common salt’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *seh₂l-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂l-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*saltą‘salt’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*saltreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sealt‘common salt’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150sealtnes
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500saltenesse
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599saltness
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂l-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*saltą‘salt’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*saltreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sealt‘common salt’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150sealtnes
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500saltenesse
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599saltness
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.: “Your lordship, though not clean past your youth, hath…”
Formed from salt + -ness
Proto-Indo-European *sḗh₂l ‘salt’
…
Proto-Germanic *saltą ‘salt’
Proto-West Germanic *salt ‘salt’
Old English sealt ‘common salt’
Middle English salt
English salt
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂l-
Today it means
noun The state or quality of being salt; saltiness.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seh₂l- / saltness