Where does “touchbox” come from?

touchbox (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.

touchbox (English): A box containing lighted tinder, formerly carried...

Definitions

  1. A box containing lighted tinder, formerly carried...

Ancestry of “touchbox”, step by step

touchbox 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 touch

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtouchPrimarily physical senses; Primarily non-physical...
2Middle Englishtouchento touch
3Old Frenchtochierto touch
4Vulgar Latintuccoto knock, strike, offend; to strike; to touch; I...
5Frankishtukkōnto knock, strike, touch; to touch, hit; to touch
6Proto-Germanictukkōnąto tug, pull; to grab, snatch; to grasp, touch
7Proto-Indo-Europeandewk-to pull, to draw; to lead
Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from English -erEvery word from French -er