Where does “salesboy” come from?

salesboy (English) comes from English Sales, from Spanish Sales, from Catalan Sales, from Catalan sala, from Frankish sali, from Proto-Germanic saliz, from Proto-Indo-European sol- — whole.

salesboy (English): A boy who sells goods in a retail establishment;...

Definitions

  1. A boy who sells goods in a retail establishment;...

Ancestry of “salesboy”, step by step

salesboy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Sales

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSalesThe activities involved in selling goods or services
2SpanishSales
3CatalanSales
4Catalansalaa large room; hall; living room
5Frankishsalidwelling, house, entrance hall; house, dwelling;...
6Proto-Germanicsalizhouse; dwelling; hall; room
7Proto-Indo-Europeansol-whole

via English boy

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishboyA young male; A male child: a son of any age; A...
2Middle Englishboyeservant, commoner, knave, boy
3Old Englishbōiaboy
4Proto-Germanicbōjôyounger brother, young male relation
5Proto-Germanicbō-A stem meaning "father, brother, close male...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰā-to say
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sol-Every word from Proto-Germanic salizEvery word from Frankish sali
salesboy — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer