Who named the Earth?

By whom or where the name Earth comes from is still controversial.

Seven of the eight planets in our solar system are named after ancient Greek or Roman gods. However, Earth - where we live, is the only exception.

According to the interpretation of scientists, the word "earth" (English is "Earth") is derived from the Old English term "eorþe". Eorþe has many meanings such as "earth", "ground", "dry earth" and "wet earth".

"Earth" and "eorþe" are also related to the modern German term "Erde". Not only is this the German name for the blue planet, but it can also be used to refer to dirt.

Further afield, linguists have found references to Earth in Old Saxon with "ertha", or "erthe" in Old Frisian, "eretz" (ארץ) in Hebrew. also recorded in ancient texts.

However, no one knows when humans started using words like "Earth" or "Erde" to refer to the entire planet and not just the ground on which they walked.

Image of Earth taken from the International Space Station ISS

Some documents suggest that the name Earth has existed for thousands of years. In reality, however, it may be even more remote. Some theories suggest that the name "Earth" can be traced back to primitive times, when our ancestors decided to name their "house" Earth - because according to them, Earth was the place for life. start and end.

As is known, soil has the ability to support plant growth and serve as a habitat for animal life forms from microorganisms to small animals.

"Soil as a natural entity with different origins and development histories, an entity with complex and diverse processes taking place in it," said VVDokuchaev, a pioneering Russian scientist in the field. soil science said.

From a scientific perspective, soil is extremely important for all life forms on Earth, because it supports the growth of plants, plants provide food and oxygen (O2) as well as absorb oxygen. carbon dioxide (CO2) while creating food for humans.

It wasn't until much later that humans discovered that 70% of our planet is actually covered in water. But at that time, humans were probably "stuck" with the name Earth.

There is also the theory that no one really named the Earth, but only talked about moving on the ground. Then gradually over time, when the concept of the planet was formed, the place where we lived was changed from "earth" to "Earth".

"People used to talk about being on 'ground' before realizing that Earth was a planet like the others," said Mark Shainblum, a professor at Concordia University in Canada. "Nobody named it. It's just a common name for English speakers, with equivalents in other languages ​​like terra, tiera, terre."