'earth-based' originates from English, formed by combining 'earth' (from Old English 'eorþe') and 'based' (from 'base', which comes from Old French 'base' and Latin 'basis'), where 'eorþe' meant 'ground/soil' and 'basis' meant 'foundation'.

'earth-based' developed as a compound in Modern English by joining the native Old English element 'earth' with the later-adopted word 'base' (via Old French and Latin), resulting in the modern compound 'earth-based'.

Initially the components meant 'ground/soil' (earth) and 'foundation' (base); over time the compound came to mean 'located on or originating from the Earth/ground', a usage that contrasts with 'space-based' or 'extraterrestrial'.