Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “delf” come from?

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

delf (Old English): digging, excavation; that which is dug: trench,...

Definitions

  1. digging, excavation; that which is dug: trench,...

Ancestry of “delf”, 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 “delf”

  • delf
  • dælf
  • delf
  • delve
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰelbʰ- →