Etymologically
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earthquake

Etymology and origin of the English word earthquake

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
late 13th century

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɜːθkweɪk/ (UK); /ˈɝθkweɪk/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English erthequake, formed from earth and quake.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A movement or vibration of part of the earth's crust: late 13th century, as eorthequakynge, in Etymonline;[2] about 1340 in the OED.[4]

Semantic evolution

Old English had eorðdyn, eorðhrernes, eorðbeofung and eorðstyrung for the idea, and Middle English also had terre-mote (late 14th century), from Latin terrae motus.[2] The figurative sense, a great upheaval, is from 1641.[4]

Timeline

  • late 13th century – eorthequakynge.[2]
  • c. 1340 – earthquake.[4]
  • 1641 – figurative use.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A sudden violent shaking of the ground, caused by movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action.
  2. A great upheaval or disturbance.

Word family

  • microearthquake
  • moonquake
  • seaquake
  • starquake
  • earth
  • quake
  • seism
  • tremor

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Earthquake.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/earthquake. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·