Jane Gilbert,, age 11 of Shreveport, LA.

What was the earth named after?

The most common everyday things were named long, long ago. People had a name for the earth long before our language was born. Our language changed, grew and developed through the ages, Some of the very ancient words came along with it. However, in most cases they went through changes on the way.

The history of our word earth perhaps goes back to a similar word in ancient Greek.‑ It was changed a little and used by the Germanic peoples of ancient Europe. It was adopted into Anglo‑Saxon with still more changes, and then into Fiddle English. We would not recognize our word earth as it was used in ancient days and  the people of past ages would not recognize the way we speak or spell it,

It.is not clear whether earth originally meant the soil or the whole world, Today we can use it either way. But, it seems, the earth was not named after any  or for any other object. It has always had the moaning or meanings it has today.