Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “boxcar” come from?

Boxcar is a compound of box and car, where box derives from Latin buxus, from Ancient Greek πύξος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱr̥sós, and car comes from Latin carrus, from Proto-Indo-European gers-.

boxcar (English): An enclosed railroad freight car, especially one...

Definitions

  1. An enclosed railroad freight car, especially one...

Ancestry of “boxcar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishboxSenses relating to a three-dimensional object or...
2Frenchboxerboxer; boxer shorts, boxers; to box
3French-erForms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs
4English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
5Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
6Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
7Latin-āre—
8Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
9Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
10Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
11Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
12Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Chichewa iye →