Where does “Earth” come from?
Earth derives from Middle English erthe, Old English eorþe, Proto-Germanic erþō, and Proto-Indo-European h₁er-, a root of uncertain meaning referring to ground or soil.
Ancestry of “Earth”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | erthe | Earth; the world; The Earth's people or... |
| 2 | Old English | eorþe | ground; the planet Earth; dirt |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | erþu | earth, world; earth, soil |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | erþō | earth |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁er- | earth |
Words derived from “Earth”