covenant of salt
- noun
- /ˈkʌvənənt əv sɔlt/
- Literature
:
pacto de sal
- The friends swore a covenant of salt as a sign of their unwavering loyalty.
Examples
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The treaty was described as a covenant of salt between the two nations, meant to last for generations.
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The covenant of salt signifies an everlasting bond.
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Biblical references often mention a covenant of salt to denote an everlasting agreement.
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In ancient cultures, a covenant of salt was sacred.
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The elders spoke of a covenant of salt to symbolize their unbreakable loyalty to one another.
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In ancient cultures, a covenant of salt was made to signify everlasting friendship and trust.
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The priest explained the significance of a covenant of salt in the sacred rituals of their faith.
Synonyms
385
3.6
A formal promise made in a serious or official situation
279
3.4
A serious promise to do or not do something, often for religious reasons
206
3.7
A serious promise to do or stop doing something
8
4.0
A serious promise to tell the truth or keep a secret
1
4.6
A legally binding deal that is very hard to break
A serious agreement between God and people in the Bible
Antonyms
197
3.9
An act of not being loyal to someone, for example telling their secrets or helping an enemy
Surface Forms
Morphology
covenant + of + salt
Although 'covenant' means a solemn agreement and 'salt' is a common preservative, the specific sense 'everlasting/unchangeable agreement' is a culturally and historically specific usage (biblical/ritual) that is not transparently inferable from the words themselves by a B1 learner. Understanding this MWE typically requires background knowledge of ritual symbolism or scripture, so its meaning is not predictable from the constituents alone.
Etymology
Covenant of salt may come from an old practice of sprinkling salt on agreements or offerings to seal them. Because salt keeps food from going bad, the image of salt made a promise seem 'lasting' and 'unbreakable', so the phrase came to mean a promise that would last and show strong 'loyalty'.