Etymology Explorer › Middle Dutch

Where does “delven” come from?

delven (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch delvan, from Proto-West Germanic delban, from Proto-Germanic delbaną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰelbʰ- — to dig, excavate.

delven (Middle Dutch): to delve, to dig, to excavate; to bury

Definitions

  1. to delve, to dig, to excavate; to bury

Ancestry of “delven”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchdelvanto dig, excavate
2Proto-West Germanicdelbanto dig
3Proto-Germanicdelbanąto dig, hollow out
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰelbʰ-to dig, excavate

Words derived from “delven”

  • delven
  • delfstof
  • delfstoffelijk
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰelbʰ- →