Online Etymology Dictionary

Samhain (n.): 1888, from Irish samhain (Gaelic Samhuinn), from Old Irish samain, literally "summer's end," from Old Irish sam "summer" (see summer (n.1)) + fuin "end." Nov. 1, the Celtic festival of the start of winter and of the new year.
samisen (n.): Japanese three-stringed instrument, 1610s, from Chinese san-hsien, literally "three-strings."
samite (n.): "rich silk cloth," c.1300, from Old French samit, from Medieval Latin samitum, examitum, from Medieval Greek hexamiton (source of Old Church Slavonic oksamitu, Russian aksamit "velvet"), noun use of neuter of Greek adjective hexamitos "six-threaded," from hex "six" (see six) + mitos "warp thread" (see mitre (n.)). The reason it was called this is variously explained. Obsolete c.1600; revived by Tennyson. German Sammet "velvet" is from French.
samizdat (n.): "illegal and clandestine copying and sharing of literature," 1967, from Russian samizdat, literally "self-publishing," from sam "self" + izdatel'stvo "publishing," probably a word-play on Gosizdat, the former state publishing house of the U.S.S.R. One who took part in it was a samizdatchik (plural samizdatchiki).
Sammy (n.): British slang for "U.S. soldier in World War I," 1918, a reference to Uncle Sam.
A Sammie may be defined as an American soldier as he appears in an English newspaper or a French cinema. It is a name he did not invent, does not like, never uses and will not recognize. ["Stars & Stripes," March 29, 1918]
Samnite (n.): member of an ancient people who inhabited Samnium in Italy, late 14c., from Latin Samnites (plural), from Samnium, probably related to Sabine (q.v.).
Samoan: 1846 (adjective and noun), from Samoa, an indigenous name, said to be from the name of a Polynesian chieftain, or else meaning "place of the moa."
Samos: Greek island in the Aegean, from Old Greek samos "a height." Man references to it are as the birthplace of Pythagoras.
samovar (n.): 1830, from Russian samovar, literally "self-boiler," from sam "self" + varit "to boil," from Old Church Slavonic variti "to cook;" but this is perhaps folk-etymology if the word is from Tatar sanabar "tea-urn."
Samoyed (n.): Siberian Mongolian people, 1580s, from Russian samoyed (11c.), traditionally literally "self-eaters," i.e. "cannibals" (the first element cognate with English same, the second with Old English etan "to eat"), but this might be Russian foilk etymology of a native name:
The common Russian etymology of the name Samoyed, meaning "self-eater," deepened the Russians' already exotic image of far-northerners. The most probable linguistic origin of Samoyed, however, is from the Saami -- saam-edne, "land of the people" [Andrei V. Golovnev ande Gail Osherenko, "Siberian Survival: The Nenets and Their Story," Cornell University, 1999]
Which would make the name a variant of Suomi "Finn." The native name is Nenets. As the name of a type of dog (once used as a working dog in the Arctic) it is attested from 1889.
sampan (n.): light Chinese boat, 1610s, from Chinese san pan, literally "three boards," from san "three" + pan "plank."
sample (n.): c.1300, "something which confirms a proposition or statement," from Anglo-French saumple, a shortening of Old French essample, from Latin exemplum "a sample" (see example). Meaning "small quantity (of something) from which the general quality (of the whole) may be inferred" (usually in a commercial sense) is recorded from early 15c.; sense of "specimen for scientific sampling" is from 1878.
sample (v.): "to test by taking a sample," 1767, from sample (n.). Related: Sampled; sampling.
sampler (n.): "embroidery specimen by a beginner to show skill," 1520s, from sample (n.), probably transferred from meaning "piece of embroidery serving as a pattern to be copied," from the notion of "an example to be imitated" (c.1300).
samsara: 1886, from Sanskrit samsara "a wandering through," from sam-, prefix denoting completeness, + sr- "to run, glide."
Samson: masc. proper name, Biblical strong-man (Judges xiii-xvi), from Late Latin, from Greek Sampson, from Hebrew Shimshon, probably from shemesh "sun." As a generic name for a man of great strength, attested from 1565. Samsonite, proprietary name for a make of luggage, is 1939, by Shwayder Bros. Inc., Denver, U.S.
Samuel: masc. proper name, Biblical judge and prophet, from Late Latin, from Greek Samouel, from Hebrew Shemiel, literally "the name of God," from shem "name" + El "God."
samurai (n.): 1727, from Japanese samurai "warrior, knight," originally the military retainer of the daimio, variant of saburai, nominal form of sabura(h)u "to be in attendance, to serve."
san: Japanese honorific title, 1878, short form of more formal sama.
San Francisco: city in California, U.S., named in Spanish for St. Francis of Assisi; the name first recorded in reference to this region 1590s, reinforced by long association of the area with the Franciscan order.
sanatorium (n.): 1839, Modern Latin, noun use of neuter of Late Latin adjective sanitorius "health-giving," from Latin sanat-, past participle stem of sanare "to heal," from sanus "well, healthy, sane." Latin sanare is the source of Italian sanare, Spanish sanar.
sanctification (n.): 1520s, from Church Latin sanctificationem, noun of action from past participle stem of sanctificare (see sanctify).
sanctify (v.): late 14c., seintefie "to consecrate," from Old French saintifier (12c.), from Late Latin sanctificare "to make holy," from sanctus "holy" (see saint) + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Form altered to conform with Latin. Meaning "to render holy or legitimate by religious sanction" is from c.1400; transferred sense of "to render worthy of respect" is from c.1600. Related: Sanctified.
sanctimonious (adj.): c.1600 (in "Measure for Measure," with the disparaging sense), from sanctimony "holiness of life and character" (1530s), from Middle French sanctimonie, from Latin sanctimonia "holiness, virtuousness," from sanctus "holy" (see saint). The un-ironic, literal sense was used occasionally in English from c.1600 to c.1800. Related: Sanctimoniously.
sanctimony (n.): 1530s, from Old French sanctimonie, from Latin sanctimonia "sacredness" (see sanctimonious).
sanction (n.): 1560s, "confirmation or enactment of a law," from Latin sanctionem (nominative sanctio) "act of decreeing or ordaining," also "decree, ordinance," from sanctus, past participle of sancire "to decree, confirm, ratify, make sacred" (see saint). Originally especially of ecclesiastical decrees. The verb sense of "to permit authoritatively" is from 1797. Related: Sanctioned; sanctioning.
sanctions (n.): in international diplomacy, 1919, plural of sanction (n.) in the sense of "part or clause of a law which spells out the penalty for breaking it" (1650s).
sanctity (n.): late 14c., from Old French sanctité, from Latin sanctitatem (nominative sanctitas) "holiness, sacredness," from sanctus "holy" (see saint).
sanctuary (n.): mid-14c., "building set apart for holy worship," from Anglo-French sentuarie, from Old French sainctuarie, from Late Latin sanctuarium "a sacred place, shrine" (especially the Hebrew Holy of Holies; see sanctum), also "a private room," from Latin sanctus "holy" (see saint). By medieval Church law, fugitives or debtors enjoyed immunity from arrest in churches, hence transferred sense of "immunity from punishment" (late 14c.). General (non-ecclesiastical) sense of "place of refuge or protection" is attested from 1560s; as "land set aside for wild plants or animals to breed and live" it is recorded from 1879. Under English law, one claiming the right of sanctuary had 40 days to confess and accept permanent banishment. This was abolished in Britain 1625 in criminal cases, 1696, 1722 in civil cases.
sanctum (n.): 1570s, from Latin sanctum "a holy place," as in Late Latin sanctum sanctorum "holy of holies" (from Greek to hagion ton hagion, from Hebrew qodesh haqqodashim), from neuter of sanctus "holy" (see saint). In English, sanctum sanctorum attested from c.1400; sense of "a person's private retreat" is from 1706.
Sanctus (n.): late 14c., Latin, initial word of the "angelic hymn" (Isa. vi:3), concluding the preface of the Eucharist, literally "holy" (see saint). It renders Hebrew qadhosh in the hymn.
sand (n.): Old English sand, from Proto-Germanic *sanda- (cf. Old Norse sandr, Old Frisian sond, Middle Dutch sant, German Sand), from PIE root *samatha- (cf. Greek psammos "sand;" Latin sabulum "coarse sand," source of Italian sabbia, French sable).

General Germanic, but not attested in Gothic, which used in this sense malma, related to Old High German melm "dust," the first element of the Swedish city name Malmö (the second element meaning "island"), and to Latin molere "to grind." Metaphoric for "innumerability" since Old English Sand dollar is from 1884, so called for its shape; sand dune attested from 1830.
sand (v.): late 14c., "to sprinkle with sand," from sand (n.); meaning "to grind or polish with sand" is from 1858. Related: Sanded; sanding.
sand-lot (n.): "plot of empty land in a town or suburb," 1878, from sand (n.) + lot. In reference to the kind of sports or games played on them by amateurs, it is recorded from 1890, American English.
sandal (n.): type of shoe, late 14c., from Old French sandale, from Latin sandalium, from Greek sandalion, diminutive of sandalon "sandal," of unknown origin, perhaps from Persian. Related: Sandals.
sandalwood (n.): 1510s, earlier sandell (c.1400), saundres (early 14c.), from Old French sandale, from Medieval Latin sandalum, from Late Greek santalon, ultimately from Sanskrit candana-m "the sandalwood tree," perhaps literally "wood for burning incense," related to candrah "shining, glowing," and cognate with Latin candere "to shine, glow" (see candle).
sandbag (n.): 1590, from sand (n.) + bag (n.). The verb sense of "pretend weakness" is 1970s, extended from poker-playing sense of "refrain from raising at the first opportunity in hopes of raising more steeply later" (1940), which perhaps is from sandbagger in the sense of "bully or ruffian who uses a sandbag as a weapon to knock his intended victim unconscious" (1882).
sandbar (n.): 1766, from sand (n.) + bar (n.1).
sandblind (adj.): "half-blind," c.1400, probably altered (by influence of sand) from Old English *samblind, the first element from West Germanic *sami-, from PIE *semi- (see semi-); cf. Old English samlæred "half-taught, badly instructed," samstorfen "half-dead."
sanderling (n.): wading bird (Crocethia alba), c.1600, probably from sand (n.) + a diminutive suffix, but OED suggests possible derivation from Old English *sand-yrðling, with second element yrðling "plowman" (literally "earthling").
Sandinista (n.): member of a Nicaraguan revolutionary group, 1928, from Spanish, from name of Augusto César Sandino (1893-1934), Nicaraguan nationalist leader; the modern organization of this name was founded in 1963. Related: Sandanistas.
sandman (n.): bringer of sleep in nursery lore, 1861, from sand (n.) in reference to hard grains found in the eyelashes on waking; first attested in a translation from the Norwegian of Andersen (his Ole Lukoie "Ole Shut-eye," about a being who makes children sleepy, came out 1842), and perhaps partly from German Sandmann. More common in U.S.; dustman with the same sense is attested from 1821.
sandpaper (v.): 1835, from sandpaper (n.). Related: Sandpapered; sandpapering.
sandpaper (n.): also sand-paper, 1788, from sand (n.) + paper (n.).
Sandra: fem. proper name, originally short for Alexandra. Little used before c.1920; a top-20 name for girls born in the U.S. 1938-1967.
sandspit (n.): 1854, from sand (n.) + spit (n.).
sandstone (n.): 1660s, from sand (n.) + stone (n.). So called from its composition.
sandwich (n.): 1762, said to be a reference to John Montagu (1718-1792), Fourth Earl Sandwich, who was said to be an inveterate gambler who ate slices of cold meat between bread at the gaming table during marathon sessions rather than get up for a proper meal (this account dates to 1770). It was in his honor that Cook named the Hawaiian islands (1778) when Montagu was first lord of the Admiralty. The family name is from the place in Kent, Old English Sandwicæ, literally "sandy harbor (or trading center)." For pronunciation, see cabbage. Sandwich board is from 1864.
sandwich (v.): 1861, from sandwich (n.). Related: Sandwiched; sandwiching.
sandy: late 15c. as a nickname for Alexander; 1520s as "having hair of a yellowish-red color," from Old English sandig "of the nature of sand" (see sand + -y (2)). Both senses combine in the colloquial use as the typical name for a Scotsman (1785).