## Etymology
From Middle English whole sale, literally 'sale in large quantity', a compound of whole + sale, from Old English hāl ('whole') and sala ('a selling').

## AI Etymology
Wholesale comes from Middle English whole sale, literally 'sale in large quantity', a compound of whole + sale, from Old English hāl ('whole') and sala ('a selling'). In current use it is an adjective, noun, and adverb meaning "relating to selling goods in bulk, or done on a large indiscriminate scale". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English hāl and Old English sala. Related English forms include whole and sale. A derived form is wholesaler. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning.

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