Salary

I learned something new today. Here is the very interesting history and etymology of the word "salary":
According to the Roman historian Pliny the Elder, "a Roman soldiers pay was originally in salt and the word salary derives from it." In Latin, salarium (salary) is derived from sal (salt).

Here is the etymology courtesy of etymonline.com:

salary (n.)

c.1377, from Anglo-Fr. salarie (c.1280), O.Fr. salarie, from L. salarium "salary, stipend," originally "soldier's allowance for the purchase of salt," from neut. of adj. salarius "pertaining to salt," from sal (gen. salis) "salt". Japanese sarariman "male salaried worker," lit. "salary-man," is from Eng. The verb meaning "to pay a regular salary to" is attested from c.1477.