Where does “delve” come from?

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

delve (Middle English): Alternative form of delven; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of delven; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “delve”, step by step

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

Words derived from “delve”

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