An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Salbe

by Friedrich Kluge

Salbe, f., ‘salve,’ from the equiv. MidHG. salbe, OHG. salba, f.; a common Teut. term; comp. OSax. salƀa, Du. zalf, AS. sealf, E. salve (Goth. *salba, f., may be inferred from salbôn, ‘to anoint’). The Teut. salbô-, from pre-Teut. solpã-, is entirely unrelated to Gr. ἀλείφω; Gr. ἕλπος, ‘oil,’ ἔλφος, ‘butter,’ ὄλπη, ‘oil-flask,’ Sans. sarpís, n., ‘grease,’ are more probably allied to Salbe.