delve

delve · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*dʰelbʰ-“to dig”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*delbaną“to dig”
3. Old English · inherited fromdelfan“to dig, dig out, burrow, bury”
4. Middle English · inherited fromdelven
5. English todaydelve

From Middle English delven, from Old English delfan (“to dig, dig out, burrow, bury”), from Proto-Germanic *delbaną (“to dig”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰelbʰ- (“to dig”). Cognate with West Frisian dolle (“to dig, delve”), Dutch delven (“to dig, delve”), Low German dölven (“to dig, delve”), dialectal German delben, telben (“to dig, delve”).

delve · noun²

1. Old English · inherited fromdelf
2. Middle English · inherited fromdelve
3. English todaydelve

From Middle English delve, delf, dælf, from Old English delf, ġedelf (“digging”) and dælf (“that which is dug out, delf, ditch”). More at delf.

Delve · proper noun³

1. Old English · derived fromdælf“delf, ditch”
2. English todayDelve

Topographic surname for someone who lived near a ditch or trench, from Old English dælf (“delf, ditch”).

Words from the same roots