Where does “dig” come from?

Dig comes from Middle English diggen, from Old English dīcian and dic, from Proto-Germanic dīkiją, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰīgʷ-.

dig (English): To move hard-packed earth out of the way,...

Definitions

  1. To move hard-packed earth out of the way,...

Ancestry of “dig”, step by step

dig traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English diggen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdiggento dig
2Old Englishdīcianto dig a ditch, to mound up earth
3Zazakidîkonshop
4Proto-Germanicdīkazpool, puddle
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰēygʷ-to stick into, pierce

via Wolof dëgg

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Wolofdëggto hear

Words derived from “dig

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰēygʷ-