Where does “sal” come from?

Sal derives from Hindi साल, from Sanskrit शृगाल, from Proto-Indo-European sel-, ḱel-, seh₂l-, and ḱelh₁-, roots of uncertain ultimate meaning.

sal (English): salt; "Shorea robusta", a dipterocarpaceous tree

Definitions

  1. salt; "Shorea robusta", a dipterocarpaceous tree

Ancestry of “sal”, step by step

sal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Hindi साल

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hindiसालyear; sal tree and its wood; thorn
2Sanskritसृगालjackal; a particular tree; name of a Vāsudeva
3Proto-Indo-European*śr̥gālás—
4Proto-Indo-Iranianćárgušpredatory animal
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱérg-ús ~ ḱr̥g-éws—

via Middle English sal

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsal—
2Latinsālsalt
3Proto-Italicsālssalt
4Proto-Indo-European*sḗh₂lsalt
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱérg-ús ~ ḱr̥g-éws →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian ćárguš →Every word from Proto-Indo-European *śr̥gālás →