'salivary' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'saliva', where 'saliva' meant 'spittle' or 'saliva'.

'salivary' was formed from the Medieval Latin word 'saliva' combined with the Late Latin/Old French adjectival suffix '-arius' (later English '-ary'), eventually becoming the modern English word 'salivary'.

Initially it referred to 'spittle' or things of saliva, and over time it evolved into its current adjectival meaning 'relating to saliva'.