Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “erde” come from?

erde (Middle High German) comes from Old High German erda, from Proto-West Germanic erþu, from Proto-Germanic erþō, from Proto-Indo-European h₁er- — earth.

Ancestry of “erde”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High GermanerdaThe Earth; earth, ground, soil
2Proto-West Germanicerþuearth, world; earth, soil
3Proto-Germanicerþōearth
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁er-earth

Words derived from “erde”

  • Ääd
  • Ääpelschlot
  • Ääpel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁er- →