erthe

See also: erþe

Middle English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈeːrð(ə)/, /ˈɛːrð(ə)/

Etymology 1

    From Old English eorþe, from Proto-West Germanic *erþu, from Proto-Germanic *erþō.

    Alternative forms

    Noun

    erthe

    1. Earth; the world
      • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, page 40:
        And I seide, “Ser, in his tyme maister Ioon Wiclef was holden of ful many men the grettis clerk that thei knewen lyuynge vpon erthe. And therwith he was named, as I gesse worthili, a passing reuli man and an innocent in al his lyuynge [] "
        (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    2. The Earth's people or inhabitants
    3. country, realm
    4. land, terrain
    5. ground, earth, dirt, soil, clay
    6. earth (one of the alchemical elements)
    Derived terms
    Descendants
    References

    Etymology 2

    From Old English yrþ; equivalent to eren (to plough) +‎ -the (abstract nominal suffix). Compare erd (home).

    Alternative forms

    Noun

    erthe (uncountable) (rare)

    1. The ploughing of soil.
    2. The amount of land ploughable in a day.
    Descendants
    • English: earth (confused with Etymology 1)
    References

    Old Frisian

    Alternative forms

    Etymology

    From Proto-West Germanic *erþu.

    Noun

    erthe f

    1. earth

    Inflection

    Declension of erthe (ō-stem)
    singular plural
    nominative erthe ertha
    accusative erthe ertha
    genitive erthe ertha, erthena
    dative erthe erthum, erthem, erthon

    Descendants

    References