English
earth
Earth comes from Old English eorþe, from Proto-Germanic *erþō ‘ground, earth’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁er- ‘earth’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁er-‘earth’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*erþō‘dirt, ground, earth’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*erþu‘earth’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150eorþe‘ground’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500erthe‘earth’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611earth
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁er-‘earth’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*erþō‘dirt, ground, earth’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*erþu‘earth’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150eorþe‘ground’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500erthe‘earth’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611earth
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “And the whole earth was of one language, and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁er-
Today it means
name Soil.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁er- / earth