Our Planet Name Origin

[supernova1965]

I have often wondered who named our planet other planets are named after gods I have yet to find any satisfactory definite answers anywhere. Was it named after the dirt or was the dirt named after the planet name. Any ideas:shrug:

[Omaroo]

Erda!

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=451

[TrevorW]

I thought they should have called it BOB

I mean what sounds more friendly and masculine

"Welcome to Earth"

"Welcome to BOB"

[Ric]

The Romans had a goddess of the earth or land called "Gaea"

If you follow the tradition of naming planets after gods and goddesses then it stands to reason, but I haven't got a clue how you would pronounce "Gaea" :confused2:

Cheers

[Vartigy]

'Guy-yar'

[avandonk]

In ancient times there were four 'elements', earth, water, air and fire.

This is about the the time the quackery of astrology came into fashion.

It is obvious if you do the experiments. The natural place of earth is at the bottom as earth sinks in water. So water generally is above earth. Same for air as it is above water and earth. Fire is easy because if you light one it rises in the air.

It was considered that the 'demons' were at work when these simple laws did not always hold true. Rain is a bit of a problem. So is being buried by a volcanoes ejecta.

Mind you if I wanted to study the heavens a few millenia ago I would tell the king/emperor it could fortell his future if it meant he would fund your research.

Not much has changed. Only the methods now are far more subtle and we have far more elements!

Bert

[renormalised]

And quite often the science can be just as much jiggery pokery and hocus pocus as it was way back when:P:D

Only these days, if you get it wrong, you're not in danger of losing your head....literally!!:P:D:D

[WarpSpider74]

Earth, of course, is only one name for our planet. It comes from the Saxon, Ertha which in turn comes from the Teutonic Erda (which was a name for the Earth Goddess, the mother figure - hence Mother Earth). Other names for the planet include Terra (Roman Earth Goddess), Gaia (Greek Earth Goddess, also spelled Gea, and hence the origin of the prefix geo- as in geology). While the other planets got their names from the Roman pantheon, the Old English name for our world stuck.

[stephenb]

Thanks Derek, I thought it had a Saxon origin of some sorts, but I wasn't sure.

[Omaroo]

LOL! Does anyone still read previous posts before posting themselves?

To quote the French - répété :)

[stephenb]

Chris, my humble apologies for failing to acknowledge you. :rolleyes:

[WarpSpider74]

Apologies also Chris, didn't mean to steal your thunder at all... just wanted to expand upon the etymology. Should have acknowledged your post first ;)

[Omaroo]

Accepted Stephen

Oh... sorry - forgot to add the... :rolleyes:

Probably not necessary, but there for effect anyway ;)