An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Saal

by Friedrich Kluge

Saal, masculine, ‘hall, large room, drawing-room,’ from Middle High German and Old High German sal, masculine and neuter, ‘house, large room, hall, building generally containing only one room, especially used for assemblies’; Old Saxon sęli, masculine, ‘building consisting of only one large room.’ In Old High German and Old Saxon the term sęlihûs, ‘house with a large room,’ is also used; Anglo-Saxon sęle, salor, sœl, ‘hall, palace,’ Old Icelandic salr, masculine (Old Teutonic saloz, saliz, neuter, may be assumed). Gothic preserves only the allied saljan, ‘to find shelter, remain,’ and saliþwôs, feminine plural ‘lodging, guest-chamber’; compare with the latter Old High German sęlida, feminine, ‘dwelling,’ Middle High German sęlde. To these Old Slovenian selitva, feminine, ‘dwelling,’ and selo, neuter, ‘courtyard, village,’ and also Latin sŏlum, ‘soil, ground.’ From the Teutonic cognates are derived the Romance class, Italian sala, French salle, ‘hall, room.’