Earther n.

a native or inhabitant of Earth

Demonyms

  • 1952 C. M. Kornbluth Make Mine Mars in Science Fiction Adventures Nov. 73/2 page image C. M. Kornbluth

    ATTN MCGILLICUDDY RE CLIENT RELATIONS NEED SOONEST ILLUMINATED SCROLL PRESENT HOMER WITHERSPOON PRESIDENT FROSTBITE HONORING HIM 40 YEARS MEMBERSHIP FROSTBITE PLANETARY PARTY USUAL SENTIMENTS NOTE MUST BE TERRESTIAL STYLE ART IF NOT ACTUAL WORK EARTHER ACCOUNT ANTIBEM PREJUDICE HERE FRBBUO END.

  • 1958 R. Silverberg Stepsons of Terra 29 Robert Silverberg

    He had been visited by an Earther, and a Sirian girl had maneuvered him into eating dinner with her.

  • 1961 J. Leache Satisfaction Guaranteed in Galaxy Dec. 106/2 page image Joy Leache bibliography

    ‘I’ll have to find a dentist right away.’ ‘What’s a dentist?’ Man who fixes your teeth.’ ‘But we don’t have teeth,’ Hrom said. ‘I forgot,’ Mis Featherpenny moaned. ‘Oh, Lord, I guess I’ll have to go all the way back to Earth.’ Hrom shook her head. ‘There are a lot of Earthers living on Darius IV. They must have a dentist. There’s a ship every morning.’

  • 1966 R. A. Lafferty Among Hairy Earthmen in Galaxy Magazine Aug. 90/2 R. A. Lafferty

    Even today, the Eretzi or Earthers haven’t the details of it right in their histories.

  • 1968 R. A. Lafferty Reefs of Earth 20 R. A. Lafferty

    Wherever they stopped, there were always a few Earthers who called them goblins and buggers and neanderthals, and who hated them.

  • 1986 J. M. Dillard Demons i. 19 J. M. Dillard

    So you see…what marrying an Earther has brought me.

  • 1989 J. M. Dillard Lost Years iii. 72 J. M. Dillard

    Silencing the bullies who had challenged Spock as an outsider, as an Earther who had no business claiming his Vulcan heritage.

  • 1990 D. Duane Doctor's Orders vii. 188 Diane Duane bibliography

    You are interfering with a mission team of the Klingon Empire, Earther.

  • 1991 G. Bear & S. M. Stirling Man Who Would Be Kzin in L. Niven et al. Man-Kzin Wars IV 264 Greg Bear S. M. Stirling bibliography

    Even after a decade, the words war and enemy still carried a strong flavor of obscenity to most Earthers.

  • 1993 V. Milan From Depths vi. 72

    Why then would they summon—he was able to keep most of the contempt from his voice—‘Earthers?’

  • 1994 D. Spencer Passing Fancy i. 25

    Same as when Earthers do it in science fiction movies, I guess.

  • 1995 D. Brin Brightness Reef (1996) 10 David Brin

    Nowadays, Dad says I should read the new hoon writers, those trying to go past imitating old-time Earthers, coming up with literature by and for our own kind.

  • 1998 Interzone June 34/2

    The Earther was in full ceremonial gear, worn over a sky-blue evening gown which trailed along the floor.

  • 2008 Asimov’s Science Fiction Apr. 173

    The squid isn’t what Earthers think of squid, but an ocean-faring creature from one of the nearby planets.


Research requirements

antedating 1952

Earliest cite

C.M. Kornbluth, "Make Mine Mars"

Research History
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from an undated Ace books reprint of Robert Silverberg's "Stepsons of Terra": which Mike Christie verified in its first publication in an Ace Double in 1958.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1968 cite from R.A. Lafferty's "The Reefs of Earth".
Fred Galvin submitted a cite from a 1984 reprint of R.A. Lafferty's "Among the Hairy Earthmen", and later was able to verify it in its 1966 first publication.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1959 cite from Robert Silverberg's "The Planet Killers": Alistair Durie was able to check the story's first publication ("This World Must Die!" by "Ivar Jorgenson" Science Fiction Adventures; August, 1957) and found that the word was not used there.
Fred Galvin submitted a cite from a 1958 reprint of C.M. Kornbluth's "Make Mine Mars": Mike Christie verified this in its first publication (Science Fiction Adventures, November 1952).
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 1961 cite from Joy Leache.

The earliest cite in the OED database was from 1986.

Last modified 2022-12-12 13:21:33
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.