Discuss word origins and meanings.
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erobins12
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by erobins12 » Sun Jun 21, 2020 3:10 am
A friend and I are having a serious debate on the word “sand” and how it came to be. I’ve done plenty of research- but cannot find much except it came from the German “zand.” Can anyone please help me out?

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Bobinwales
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by Bobinwales » Sun Jun 21, 2020 7:56 pm
But, isn't the German word for "sand"... "Sand"?
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Signature: All those years gone to waist!Bob in Wales
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Erik_Kowal
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by Erik_Kowal » Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:28 pm
Bobinwales wrote: ↑Sun Jun 21, 2020 7:56 pm
But, isn't the German word for "sand"... "Sand"?
Yes.
It's possible that erobins12 has mixed up "deutsch" and "Dutch".

The Dutch word for sand is
zand, but as you rightly point out, Bob, in German it is
sand.
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erobins12
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by erobins12 » Mon Jun 22, 2020 12:29 am
In old German, it was "Zand." The further back you, the more it changes, of course. I am just curious to know on why "sand" is called sand... Does it have something to do with deserts? the sea and the land?
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Erik_Kowal
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by Erik_Kowal » Mon Jun 22, 2020 1:57 am
The Wiktionary etymology traces it back to Proto-Indo-European *sámh₂dʰos. That is so far back that it is likely to be impossible to resolve the ultimate origin any further (if there is one).
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