Etymology Dictionary

SALLET,  a kind of helmet.  (F.,—Ital.,—L.)   In Shak. 2 Hen. VI., iv. 10. 12; and in Baret (1580).   Palsgrave has:  'Salet of harnesse, salade.'   Sallet is a corruption of salade, due to the fact that a salad of herbs was also corrupted to sallet.   'Sallet, a helmet; Sallet oil, salad oil;' Glossary to Shakespeare's [North's] Plutarch, ed. Skeat.—O.F. salade, 'a salade, helmet, headpiece; also a sallet of herbs;' Cot.   [Here the spellings salade and sallet are interchanged; however, the two are of different origin.]—Ital. celata, a helmet.—Lat. cælata, that which is engraved or ornamented; Diez cites cassis cælata, an ornamented helmet, from Cicero.   Cf. Span. celar, to engrave, celadura, enamel, inlaying, celada, a helmet.   Lat. cælata is the fem. of the pp. of cælare, to engrave, ornament.—Lat. cælum, a chisel, graver; perhaps allied to cædere, to cut.