Where does “sandbox” come from?

Sandbox is a compound of English sand and English box, ultimately derived from the notion of a receptacle filled with sand.

sandbox (English): A children's play area consisting of a box filled...

Definitions

  1. A children's play area consisting of a box filled...

Ancestry of “sandbox”, step by step

sandbox 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 sand

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsandRock that is ground more finely than gravel, but...
2Middle EnglishsondAlternative form of sand
3Old Englishsandaction of sending, embassy, mission, deputation;...
4Norwegian Nynorsksamdin agreement
5Proto-Germanicsamdazsand
6Proto-Indo-Europeansámh₂dʰossand
7Proto-Indo-Europeansem-together, one

Words derived from “sandbox

Every word from Chichewa iye
sandbox — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer