Where does “delph” come from?

delph (English) comes from Old English delf, from Old English delfan, from Proto-West Germanic delban, from Proto-Germanic delbaną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰelbʰ- — to dig, excavate.

delph (English): Alternative spelling of delft

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of delft

Ancestry of “delph”, step by step

delph traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English delf

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishdelfdigging, excavation; that which is dug: trench,...
2Old Englishdelfanto dig; to dig up, excavate
3Proto-West Germanicdelbanto dig
4Proto-Germanicdelbanąto dig, hollow out
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰelbʰ-to dig, excavate

via English Delft

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDelftA style of blue and white earthenware
2Dutchdelft
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰelbʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic delbaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic delban →