box English · revision 2632

+ English has three words spelled ''box'': the evergreen shrub, from Latin buxus; the container, from Late Latin buxis, as if first made of the wood of that shrub; and the blow, with the verb “to fight with the fists”, of unknown origin.^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /bɒks/, US /bɑːks/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|evergreen shrub}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 800|origins=grc πύξος}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The shrub is [[inh|enm|box]], [[inh|ang|box]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|la|buxus|t=box tree]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000)^(SOED 2002) from [[grc|πύξος|tr=púxos|t=box tree]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966)^(Hoad 1986) of unknown origin.^(Barnhart 1988) Klein suggests a loanword of Thraco-Phrygian origin,^(Klein 1966) and Etymonline reports Beekes's suggestion of a loan from Italy, where the tree is native.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English box, the tree: before 800, in an early glossary,^(Barnhart 1988) or 931 in the OED.^(OED 1989) The wood of the tree, ''boxwood'', is from about 1385.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The hard pale wood was much used by turners and wood-engravers,^(OED 1989) and ''box'' was used as an adjective, “of boxwood; pale as box”, from 1382.^(OED 1989) With a distinguishing word it names several other plants, such as ''bastard box'', from 1578.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 800 – the box tree.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1382 – of boxwood.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1385 – boxwood.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1578 – other plants called box.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A small evergreen shrub or tree of the genus ''Buxus'', often used for hedges.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # The hard wood of this tree; [[boxwood]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[boxwood]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|container}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1000 (Ælfric)|origins=grc πυξίς}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The container is [[inh|enm|box]], [[inh|ang|box]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) probably [[bor|la-lat|buxis]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002)^(Hoad 1986) a variant of [[m|la|pyxis|t=box of boxwood]],^(SOED 2002)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[grc|πυξίς|tr=puxís|t=box]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) from [[m|grc|πύξος|tr=púxos|t=box tree]],^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024) as if it were first made of the wood of the [[box#1]] tree.^(Barnhart 1988)^(COED 2004) Greek puxís also gave [[pyx]].^(Cresswell 2021) Dutch bus and German [[m|de|Büchse|t=box; gun barrel]] are also Latin loans.^(Etymonline) The verb is from the noun.^(SOED 2002)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English box, a container: before 1000, in the works of Ælfric.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) Barnhart dates the sense “a jar” to about 1150.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From 1700 ''box'' was gradually extended to larger cases for merchandise.^(OED 1989) A compartment at the theatre is from about 1600,^(Etymonline) and ''box seat'' in this sense by 1850.^(Etymonline) A pigeon-hole at a post office is from 1832.^(Etymonline) In Australia and New Zealand a ''box'' is a mixing up of different flocks of sheep, from 1872.^(OED 1989) The batter's station in baseball is from 1881,^(Etymonline) and a space enclosed by lines in graphics from 1929.^(Etymonline) A gramophone was ''the box'' from 1924 and a television from 1950.^(Etymonline) ''Boxing Day'' was the day when well-off households gave presents, called ''Christmas boxes'', to tradespeople and employees; the money was collected in an earthenware box broken open afterwards.^(Cresswell 2021) The verb “to put into a box” is from the mid-15th century.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1000 – a container.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1450 – verb, to put in a box.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1600 – a theatre box.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1832 – a post-office box.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1881 – the batter's box.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1924 – a gramophone.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1950 – a television.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A container, usually with flat sides and a lid.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # The amount a box holds.^(AHD)

+ # A separate compartment, as in a theatre or a courtroom.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # An area marked out by lines, on a page or a sports field.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # ''(informal)'' A television: ''the box''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To put into a box.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # To confine: ''boxed in''.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[boxful]]

+ * [[boxy]]

+ * [[boxcar]]

+ * [[mailbox]]

+ * [[postbox]]

+ * [[jukebox]]

+ * [[Boxing Day]]

+ * [[box office]]

+

+ {{homograph|3|blow; to fight}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=unknown|attested=c. 1300 (Sir Bevis of Hamtoun)}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The blow is [[inh|enm|box]], of unknown origin.^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002)^(Hoad 1986)^(COED 2004) It is often compared with Middle Dutch boke, Middle High German buc and Danish bask, all meaning “a blow”, though Barnhart finds no evidence of a link,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and it may be imitative or from some sense of [[box#2]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The verb is from the noun.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A blow: probably about 1300, in ''Sir Bevis of Hamtoun''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The noun is older than the verb.^(Etymonline) The verb meant “to beat an animal” in 1390^(Barnhart 1988) and “to beat, strike” in the late 14th century,^(Etymonline) and “to strike with the fist” from 1519.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MW Collegiate) “To fight with the fists” is from the 1560s^(Etymonline) or 1567.^(Barnhart 1988) ''Boxer'' is from 1472,^(Barnhart 1988) but the noun ''boxing'', the sport, only from 1711, as boxing had died out in ancient Rome and was popularized again in the early 18th century by James Figg.^(Barnhart 1988) The noun now usually means a slap on the ear.^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1300 – a blow.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1390 – verb, to beat.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1472 – ''boxer''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1519 – to strike with the fist.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1567 – to fight with the fists.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1711 – ''boxing'', the sport.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To fight with the fists, especially in the sport of [[boxing]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # To hit with the hand: ''box someone's ears''.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A blow with the hand, especially on the ear.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[boxer]]

+ * [[boxing]]

+ * [[kickboxing]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pyx]]

+ * [[buxom]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''To box the compass'', to name the points of the compass in order, or to turn right round, is a nautical phrase, probably from Spanish bojar “to sail round”, from 1713 in Merriam-Webster.^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}