# saliva

> English word · Noun · IPA /səˈlaɪvə/ · frequency rank #18,424

## Definitions
1. A clear, slightly alkaline liquid secreted into the mouth by the salivary glands and mucous glands, consisting of water, mucin, protein, and enzymes. It moistens the mouth, lubricates ingested food, and begins the breakdown of starches.

## Etymology
A learned borrowing from Latin salīva (“spittle”), replacing or merging with Middle English salive, salve (“saliva”), from the same Latin source. Further origin uncertain. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *salw-, *sal- (“dirt, dirty”), cognate with Old English salu (“dark, dusky”). More at sallow.
Displaced Middle English slaver, slavere ("saliva"; whence Modern English slaver); and Middle English spyttle, spetel, spatel, spotel ("saliva"; whence Modern English spittle, spettle, spattle).

## Easily confused with
- **silva** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-silva)
- **salsa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-salsa)
- **shiva** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-shiva)
- **salvo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-salvo)
- **salve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-salve)
- **Salma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-salma)
- **silica** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-silica)
- **Scalia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-scalia)
- **Selina** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-selina)
- **sativa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-sativa)
- **salvia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-salvia)
- **salivary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saliva-vs-salivary)
- **sala** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sala-vs-saliva)
- **saline** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saline-vs-saliva)
- **salina** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/salina-vs-saliva)
- **Sabina** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sabina-vs-saliva)
- **Salinas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/salinas-vs-saliva)

## Common misspellings (7)
`asliva`, `sailva`, `saliav`, `salivva`, `salliva`, `slaiva`, `ssaliva`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/saliva