English
terrestrial
Terrestrial comes from Middle English terrestrialle.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500terrestrialle
- Englishearliest quotation 1744terrestrial
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500terrestrialle
- Englishearliest quotation 1744terrestrial
Earliest quotation: 1744, Edward Young, Proof: “A genius bright and base, / Of towering talents,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ters- ‘dry’
test, territory, inter, toast, terrain, thirst, terrace, territorial, torrent, terra, terrier, fossa, fosse, torrid, terroir, 42 more
through Proto-Italic *terzos
through Latin terrestris ‘of or pertaining to the earth or land’
Today it means
noun A ground-dwelling plant.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English terrestrialle / terrestrial