Where does “delf” come from?

delf (Middle 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.

delf (Middle English): A quarry; A man-made channel or stream; a...

Definitions

  1. A quarry; A man-made channel or stream; a...

Ancestry of “delf”, step by step

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

Words derived from “delf”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰelbʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic delbaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic delban →