Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “box” come from?

box (Middle English) comes from Old English box, from Proto-West Germanic *buhsā.

box (Middle English): A cylindrical jar; A case, container or strongbox

Definitions

  1. A cylindrical jar; A case, container or strongbox

Ancestry of “box”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishboxbox; box tree
2Proto-West Germanic*buhsā—

Words derived from “box”

  • box
  • boxing
  • mailbox
  • boxer
  • toolbox
  • boxers
  • checkbox
  • sandbox
  • gearbox
  • boxcar
  • boxwood
  • shoebox
  • boxy
  • snuffbox
  • matchbox
  • icebox
  • pillbox
  • firebox
  • bandbox
  • homeobox
  • soapbox
  • letterbox
  • chatterbox
  • lockbox
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *buhsā →