'sand-dweller' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the noun 'sand' and the agent noun 'dweller', where 'sand' comes from Old English 'sand' and 'dweller' is derived from 'dwell' plus the agentive suffix '-er'.

'dwell' comes from Old English 'dwellan' and Middle English 'dwellen', which developed into the modern English verb 'dwell'; the agentive suffix '-er' was added to form 'dweller', and the compound 'sand-dweller' arose in Modern English by combining 'sand' and 'dweller'.

Initially, 'dwell' primarily meant 'to remain or live in a place'; this basic sense has largely remained, so 'sand-dweller' has consistently meant an entity that lives in sand.