Sausage
/ˈsɒs.ɪdʒ/noun
A seasoned mixture of minced meat, usually enclosed in a casing.
Did you know?Sausage descends from Latin salsicia, related to salarium—the origin of “salary,” traditionally associated with salt or a salt allowance, though the exact Roman payment practice is debated.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*seh₂l-
“Salt, a mineral essential for preserving food and sustaining life”
Ancient Latin
Latin
sal
“Salt”
Classical Latin
Latin
salsus
“Salted or seasoned with salt”
Late Latin
Latin
salsīcia
“A salted or seasoned meat preparation”
12th–13th Century
Old French
saussiche
“Sausage; a salted meat preparation”
15th Century
English
sausige
“Sausage”
Modern English
English
sausage
“A seasoned minced-meat food, commonly enclosed in a casing”