An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Erde

by Friedrich Kluge

Erde, f., ‘earth, ground, soil, world,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ërde, OHG. ërda, f.; a word common to Teut.; comp. Goth. airþa, OIc. jǫrð, AS. eorðe, E. earth, Du. aarde, OSax. ërtha, f., ‘earth,’ To the dental derivative ër-þô, OHG. ëro, ‘earth,’ also belongs; so too Gr. ἔρ-αὗε, ‘to earth,’ and perhaps Lat. arvum, ‘arable land’ (AS. eard), as well as the old Aryan root ar, ‘to plough’; see Acker, Art. —