An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Sand

by Friedrich Kluge

Sand, m., ‘sand,’ from the equiv. MidHG. sant (gen. sandes), OHG. sant (gen. -tes), m.; corresponding to the equiv. OSax. sand, m. and n., Du. zand, AS. sǫnd, n., E. sand, OIc. sandr, m. (Goth. *sanda-, m. and n., is by chance not recorded). They represent pre-Teut. samdho-, samadho- (in Teut. m before d is changed into n; see Rand, Hundert, and Schande); comp. Gr. ἄμαθος, ‘sand.’ The equiv. Bav. and Tyrol. samp (MidHG. sampt), from OHG. *samat, corresponds exactly to the Gr. word; comp. further E. dial. samel, ‘sandy soil,’ with Lat. sabulum, from *samulum?.