Earthling refers to an individual of a species originating from earth. Historically the term referred to a mortal inhabitant of the earth (as opposed to immortals from the underworld or heaven.)
The term earthling is originally from Old English eorðe (ground, soil, dry land) and the suffix -ling (from Old English -ol, -ul, -el; and -ing, meaning "a person or thing of a specific kind or origin". First used in 1593, earthling (or worldling) referred to a mortal inhabitant of earth as opposed to one from heaven or the underworld.
