Where does “earth” come from?

earth (British English) comes from Middle English erthe, from Old English eorþe, from Proto-West Germanic erþu, from Proto-Germanic erþō, from Proto-Indo-European h₁er- — earth.

earth (British English): Soil; Any general rock-based material; The...

Definitions

  1. Soil; Any general rock-based material; The...

Ancestry of “earth”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishertheEarth; the world; The Earth's people or...
2Old Englisheorþeground; the planet Earth; dirt
3Proto-West Germanicerþuearth, world; earth, soil
4Proto-Germanicerþōearth
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁er-earth

Words derived from “earth”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁er- →Every word from Proto-Germanic erþō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic erþu →