Today I Learned (TIL)

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TIL that we don’t know who named the Earth. Unlike other planets there are no records of how it got its name. The name Earth, and variations of it, date back 1000+ years. (www.skyatnightmagazine.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

OK, but that doesn't answer my question of how it became the name of the planet.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Rough approximation: Earth as opposed to sky, becomes earth as opposed to sea, becomes earth as in the known world as opposed to the places we don't settle (sea, sky, hell, etc.), becomes the place we live as opposed to Mars or Betelgeuse.

We walk on dirt, we live on dirt, we live on Dirt.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

That's a pretty good and likely summary, thanks!