Where does “music box” come from?

music box (English) comes from English box, from French boxer, from French -er, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō — he, she.

music box (English): A box that generates or plays music, particularly...

Definitions

  1. A box that generates or plays music, particularly...

Ancestry of “music box”, step by step

music box traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English box

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-ārefirst conjugation
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

via English music

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmusicA series of sounds organized in time, employing...
2Middle EnglishmusikAlternative form of musike
3Old Frenchmusiquemusic
4Italianmosaicomosaic, puzzle, jigsaw, jigsaw puzzle; mixture;...
5Latinmusaicum
6Latinmusivummosaic
7Latinmūsēuma place or temple devoted to the Muses
8Ancient Greekμουσεῖονa home of music poetry; a museum, a...
9Ancient GreekμοῦσαAlternative letter-case form of Μοῦσᾰ; music,...
Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from English -erEvery word from French -er
music box — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer