売る

Probably from Old Japanese. First attested in a text from 810,[1] just on the cusp of the historical delineation between Old Japanese and Early Middle Japanese.

Possibly cognate with Old Japanese 得 (u), modern Japanese 得る (eru, “to obtain, to get”), from the sense of getting money in exchange for the item sold.

• (Tokyo) うる [ùrú] (Heiban – [0])[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ᵝɾɯ̟ᵝ]

売(う)る • (uru) transitive godan (stem 売(う)り (uri), past 売(う)った (utta))

1. [from 810] to sell something (to agree to transfer goods)

   野(や)菜(さい)を売(う)る

   yasai o uru

   to sell vegetables

2. [from 1591] to sell someone out, to betray

   仲(なか)間(ま)を売(う)る

   nakama o uru

   to sell out one's friend, to sell one's friend down the river

   友達(ともだち)を警察(けいさつ)に売(う)る

   tomodachi o keisatsu ni uru

   to turn in a friend to the police

3. [from 1913] to agitate, to incite

   喧(けん)嘩(か)を売(う)る

   kenka o uru

   to incite a quarrel

   何(なん)だ、喧(けん)嘩(か)売(う)ってんのか？

   Nan da, kenka utten no ka?

   What, are you looking for / asking for a fight?

• (sell): (archaic) ひさぐ (hisagu)
• (betray): 裏切(うらぎ)る (uragiru)
• (agree to transfer goods): ひさぐ (hisagu)

• (agree to transfer goods): 買(か)う (kau, “to buy”)

• Entry at Gogen Yurai Jiten ("Etymology Derivation Dictionary", in Japanese)