'non-sandy' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') attached to 'sandy' (from Old English 'sand' + adjectival suffix '-y').

'sandy' developed from Old English 'sand' plus the Old English/Old Norse adjectival suffix (rendered in Middle English as '-i'/'-y'), becoming Middle English 'sandy'; later the productive prefix 'non-' was attached in Modern English to form the compound 'non-sandy'.

Initially the elements meant 'not' (non-) and 'containing sand' (sandy); together they have the straightforward modern meaning 'not containing or covered with sand'.