Earthite n.
a native or inhabitant of Earth
Demonyms
-
1814
Alas, alas, short-sighted Earthites [in 1813 edition: mortals]! how little ye foresee the havock that will happen hereafter, from the pelting of these pitiless stones. For, about the time of the millennium, the doctrine of projectiles will be so prodigiously improved, that while there is universal peace upon earth, the planets will go to war with each other. Then shall we Lunarians, like true satellites, turn upon our benefactors and instead of merely trying our small shot (as at present), we will fire off whole mountains; while you, from your superior attraction, will find it difficult to hit us at all.
Heroine (ed. 2) I. p. xxii -
1825
We loyal earthites may be pleased to think so; but what may the moonites…say to such a notion?
Essays & Sketches Char. 210 -
[1859
Like a great, awkward, clumsy mountainous earthite asking of a white-robed angel to help him up a ladder of cloud.]
Minister’s Wooing xxvii. 414 -
1905
The inhabitants of Alpha Centaurus live as comfortably in fire as Earthites live in air or fishes in water.
Life in Thousand Worlds 10 -
1951
page image
Isaac Asimov
bibliography
The incidence of the Death is highest on my world, which is closest to Earth, and lower on each more distant planet…while Earth itself is immune. Somewhere in the biochemistry of the Earthite, there is the secret of that immunity.
Hostess in Galaxy Science Fiction May 97/2 -
1999 San Francisco Chronicle (Nexis) 19 Apr.
The intergalactic scouting report on us Earthites has to be: ‘They can’t all just get along.’
3
Research requirements
antedating 1814
Research History
Fred Galvin submitted a 1951 cite from Isaac Asimov's "Hostess".
Last modified 2022-12-12 13:25:56
In the compilation of some
entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
in OED.