'psammophobic' originates from a modern English formation using Greek roots, specifically the Greek words 'psammos' and 'phobos', where 'psammos' meant 'sand' and 'phobos' meant 'fear'.

'psammophobic' was formed by combining the prefix 'psammo-' (from Greek 'psammos') with the suffix '-phobic' (from Greek 'phobos'), related to the noun 'psammophobia' produced in modern English coinage (20th century usage in technical or colloquial contexts).

Initially it specifically denoted 'fear of sand'; over time the word has retained that core meaning and is used to describe people, attitudes, or reactions characterized by that fear.