Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mailbox” come from?

Mailbox derives from English mail and English box, where box comes from Latin box, Ancient Greek βώξ, βοῦς, Latin buxus, Ancient Greek πύξος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mey-.

mailbox (English): A box into which mail is put; A folder or account...

Definitions

  1. A box into which mail is put; A folder or account...

Ancestry of “mailbox”, 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

Words derived from “mailbox”

  • e-mailbox
  • メールボックス
Every word from Chichewa iye →