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The English word *salary* came from the Latin word for *salt* [Oxford]:
>Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French salarie, from Latin salarium, originally denoting a Roman soldier's allowance to buy salt, from sal ‘salt’.
Salarium originally referred to a monetary allowance given to soldiers to buy salt, which was a valuable commodity in ancient times—essential for preserving food, seasoning, and even medicinal purposes. Over time, salarium evolved to mean a regular wage or stipend in money, not salt.
Did Roman soldiers ever receive their salaries in salt?
No. They received salaries in Roman coinage which they could use to buy salt. Their level of salary was measured by how much salt they could buy. Soldiers were not literally paid with bags of salt instead of coins. Rome had a sophisticated economy with coinage, like the denarius.
Could salt be used to buy things?
Yes, but only in the bartering sense. The standard currency was Roman coins made of gold, silver, bronze, or copper.
>Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French salarie, from Latin salarium, originally denoting a Roman soldier's allowance to buy salt, from sal ‘salt’.
Salarium originally referred to a monetary allowance given to soldiers to buy salt, which was a valuable commodity in ancient times—essential for preserving food, seasoning, and even medicinal purposes. Over time, salarium evolved to mean a regular wage or stipend in money, not salt.
Did Roman soldiers ever receive their salaries in salt?
No. They received salaries in Roman coinage which they could use to buy salt. Their level of salary was measured by how much salt they could buy. Soldiers were not literally paid with bags of salt instead of coins. Rome had a sophisticated economy with coinage, like the denarius.
Could salt be used to buy things?
Yes, but only in the bartering sense. The standard currency was Roman coins made of gold, silver, bronze, or copper.
