Where does “delve” come from?
Delve comes from Middle English delven, from Old English delfan, from Proto-Indo-European dʰelbʰ-, a root meaning to dig or excavate.
delve (English): To dig the ground, especially with a shovel; To...
Definitions
- To dig the ground, especially with a shovel; To...
Ancestry of “delve”, step by step
delve traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English delve
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | delve | Alternative form of delven; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old English | delfan | to dig; to dig up, excavate |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | delban | to dig |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | delbaną | to dig, hollow out |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰelbʰ- | to dig, excavate |
via Old English dælf
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | dælf | that which is dug out, delf, ditch; that which is... |