- sale (n.)
- late Old English sala "a sale," from Old Norse sala "sale," from Proto-Germanic *salo (cf. Old High German sala, Swedish salu, Danish salg), from root *sal-, source of *saljan (cf. Old English sellan; see sell (v.)). Sense of "a selling of shop goods at lower prices than usual" first appeared 1866. Sales tax attested by 1886. Sales associate by 1946.