Where does “salesman” come from?

Salesman comes from English sales and English man, ultimately from Proto-Germanic mann- meaning "human being," traced through Middle English man and mon to Proto-Indo-European men-.

salesman (English): A man whose job it is to sell things, either in a...

Definitions

  1. A man whose job it is to sell things, either in a...

Ancestry of “salesman”, step by step

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

Words derived from “salesman”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sol- →Every word from Proto-Germanic saliz →Every word from Frankish sali →