Bibliotheca Polyglotta

The word belongs to the larger semantic complex of ↗salima (< Sem √ŠLM ‘to be whole, sound, remain unharmed’). Morpho-phonologically it is very close to Hbr šäläm which signifies a ‘sacrifice for alliance or friendship, “peace offering”’, given to a ruler or deity in order to obtain their benevolence. In Ar, it acquired the specific meaning of ‘advance payment’ (as a technical term in Islamic law), i.e., a payment made to ‘pacify’ the seller and give him a guarantee, but also to obtain a guarantee from the seller to deliver the paid product in due time.

▪ It seems that earlier values of salam (see ↗salam_disambig.), such as ^†‘peace, end of hostility’, ^†‘wholly devoted to, wholly belonging’, and ^†‘surrender, submission; captivity, prisoner’ have become obsolete due to overlapping with ↗salām, ↗ʔaslama (with ʔislām), and ↗ĭstaslama. Only the special meaning as a legal term in Isl. Law made salam_1 survive into MSA.

▪ The closest cognates are well Ug šlm ‘tributes, presents’ and Hbr šäläm ‘sacrifice for alliance or friendship, “peace offering”’. Semantically closely related are, however, also Akk šulmānu (var. šullumānu) (CAD:) ‘1 well-being, health; 2 present, gift (exchanged between kings of equal ranks; sent by vassals or clients to patrons and high officials; offered to Gods); 3 retaining fee, gratuity (presented to official to ensure their patronage)’, šulmānūtu ‘gift, present’, Ug šlm (*šillūmu, *šullūmu) (vn. of D-stem) ‘retribution, requital, recompense’, Hbr šillûm ‘requittal, retribution; reward, bribe’.

▪ The idea of making a payment (though not in advance but ex post) is also already present, as a special meaning among other more general ones, in the Akk G-stem šalāmu ‘[…];¹ 6. to obtain financial satisfaction, receive full payment’ and in the corresponding D-stem šullumu ‘[…] 12. to pay in full, repay, compensate, to deliver in full, make good, make restitution, make up a loss, repair a damage right a wrong’.
▪ According to Zimmern1914, this Akk šullumu was taken, with identical meaning as a technical term, into Hbr as šillēm, Aram šallem (and Ar ↗sallama, probably from the Aram form).

1. The other values are (CAD:) ‘1. to stay well; 2. to be in a good condition, intact, arrive safely, become safe, og safely through the river ordeal; 3. to be favourable, propitious; 4. to be successful, prosper, succeed; 5. to be completed, be completely carried out, reach completion’.

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