Where does “wholesale” come from?

I appreciate the detailed instructions, but I notice a significant problem with the provided chain: it appears to conflate two entirely different etymologies (one for "whole/hole" and one for "oil"), which cannot both be correct for "wholesale." The chain shows: - English whole ← Middle English hole ← Old English hol ← Old English helan ← Latin oleum... This doesn't make sense etymologically. "Whole" and "hole" have different origins, and neither connects to "oleum" (oil). To write an accurate one-sentence origin summary, I would need a corrected etymological chain for "wholesale." Could you verify the chain? For reference, "wholesale" should derive from "whole" (meaning complete/in bulk) + "sale," where "whole" comes from Old English *hāl (meaning sound/uninjured), not from the path shown here. Would you like

wholesale (English): The sale of products, often in large quantities,...

Definitions

  1. The sale of products, often in large quantities,...

Ancestry of “wholesale”, step by step

wholesale traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English whole

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwholeEntire, undivided; Sound, uninjured, healthy;...
2Middle Englishholhollow, empty; concave, sunken; holey
3Old Englishhola hole, a hollow; calumny; slander
4Proto-West Germanicholhollow; hole
5Proto-Germanichuląa hollow; depression; hole
6Proto-Germanichulazhollow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

via English Sale

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSaleOS grid ref SJ9892
2Middle Englishsale
3Old Englishsælroom, great hall, house, castle; happiness,...
4Proto-West Germanicsālihappiness, prosperity; proper, appropriate time
5Proto-Germanicsalizhouse; dwelling; hall; room
6Proto-Indo-Europeansol-whole

Words derived from “wholesale

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel-Every word from Proto-Germanic hulazEvery word from Proto-Germanic hulą