delve
English
/dɛlv/
verb
Definitions
- (intransitive) To dig the ground, especially with a shovel.
- (ambitransitive) To search thoroughly and carefully for information, research, dig into, penetrate, fathom, trace out
- (ambitransitive) To dig, to excavate.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English delven inherited from Old English delfan (bury, dig out, burrow, dig) inherited from Proto-Germanic *delbaną (dig) derived from Proto-Indo-European *dʰelbʰ- (dig).
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*dʰelbʰ-
Gloss
dig
Concept
Semantic Field
Agriculture and vegetation
Ontological Category
Action/Process
Emoji
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- delver English
- delvest English
- delveth English
- indelve English
- undelve English
- underdelve English
- bedelven Dutch, Flemish
- delfstof Dutch, Flemish
- delven Dutch, Flemish
- delver Dutch, Flemish
- delving Dutch, Flemish
- *dʰelbʰ- Proto-Indo-European
- *delbaną Proto-Germanic
- bedelfan Old English
- delfan Old English
- þurhdelfan Old English
- bedelven Middle English
- delve Middle English
- delven Middle English
- delvere Middle English
- delvyng Middle English
- indelven Middle English
- umbedelven Middle English
- underdelven Middle English
- *dolto Proto-Slavic
- *dъlbiti Proto-Slavic
- delven Middle Dutch
- *delban gmw-pro
- dolle Western Frisian
- delva Old Frisian