is ethanoate a salt?

Yes
Ethanoate: a salt or ester of acetic acid

Ethanoate is an ion, not a salt. By itself, it has a -1 charge

I know sodium ethanoate is a salt,
but could I say ethanoate itself is a salt?

I'm going to say no because it's an ion not a salt and when the metal reacts with ethanoic acid, the metal ethanoate is produced.

Think of it like sodium chloride, sodium reacts with chlorine and you can't just say chloride is salt, right? There can also be lithium chloride, etc.