dig

dig · verb, noun¹

1. Old French · derived from*diguer
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*dʰeygʷ-“to stab, dig”
3. Proto-Germanic · derived from*dīkaz“pool, puddle; dyke, ditch”
4. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*dīkōn
5. Old English · derived fromdīcian“to dig a ditch, mound up earth”
6. Middle English · inherited fromdiggen
7. English todaydig

From Middle English diggen (“to dig”, 13th c.), an alteration of dīken, from Old English dīcian (“to dig a ditch, mound up earth”), from Proto-West Germanic *dīkōn, which see for cognates. This verb is denominal from Proto-Germanic *dīkaz (“pool, puddle; dyke, ditch”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to stab, dig”). The form with g may have been influenced by Old French *diguer, a variant of dikier, itself from the West Germanic verb above. French forms with g are attested only in the 15th c., thus 200 years later than in English. On the other hand, French has according forms also for the underlying noun (cf. digue) and the phonetic development is more plausible in French than in English.

dig · verb²

1. Irish · derived fromdtuig
2. Wolof · derived fromdëgg
3. English todaydig

From African American Vernacular English; due to lack of writing of slave speech, etymology is difficult to trace, but it has been suggested that it is from Wolof dëgg, dëgga (“to understand, to appreciate”). It has also been suggested that it is from Irish dtuig, thus being a doublet of twig. Others do not propose a distinct etymology, instead considering this a semantic shift of the existing English term (compare dig in/dig into).

dig · noun³

Shortening.

dig · noun⁴

Unknown. Compare Middle English digge.

Words from the same roots