Where does “postboks” come from?

postboks (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Norwegian Bokmål boks, from English box, from French boxer, from French -er, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre — he, she.

postboks (Norwegian Bokmål): a post office box or PO box

Definitions

  1. a post office box or PO box

Ancestry of “postboks”, step by step

postboks traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Norwegian Bokmål boks

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålboksa box; a can, or tin; imperative of bokse
2EnglishboxSenses relating to a three-dimensional object or...
3Frenchboxerboxer; boxer shorts, boxers; to box
4French-erForms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs
5English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
6Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
7Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
8Latin-ārefirst conjugation
9Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
10Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
11Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
12Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
13Chichewaiyehe, she

via Norwegian Bokmål post

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålpostpost or mail
2Italianpostamail, post; post office; stakes
3Latinprobāre
4Latinprobōto approve, permit, commend
5LatinProbusgood, serviceable, excellent, superior, able
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-bhwo-being in front, prominent
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
9Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from English -erEvery word from French -er