delfan

Middle English

Verb

delfan

1. (Early Middle English) alternative form of delven

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *delban, from Proto-Germanic *delbaną. Cognate with Old Frisian delva, Old Saxon *delƀan, Old Dutch *delvan, and Old High German *telban.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdel.fɑn/, [ˈdeɫ.vɑn]

Verb

delfan

1. to dig
   • Wonders of the East

     Þǣr beoð akende ǣmættan swā miċle swā hundas. Hī habbað fēt swylċe græshoppan, hī syndon rēades hīwes ⁊ blaces. Þā ǣmettan delfað gold up of eorðan fram foran nihte ōþ þa fīftan tīd dæġes.

     Ants are born there as big as dogs. They have feet like grasshoppers, and are red and black in color. The ants dig gold up from the earth from before the night until the fifth hour of the day.

2. to mine

Conjugation

Conjugation of delfan (strong, class III)

infinitive	delfan	delfenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	delfe	dealf
second person singular	dilfst	dulfe
third person singular	dilfþ	dealf
plural	delfaþ	dulfon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	delfe	dulfe
plural	delfen	dulfen
imperative
singular	delf
plural	delfaþ
participle	present	past
	delfende	(ġe)dolfen

Derived terms

• ādelfan (“to excavate”)
• bedelfan (“to dig around, bury”)
• delfere (“digger”)
• delfing (“digging”)
• fordelfan (“to delve, dig”)
• þurhdelfan (“to dig through, pierce”)
• underdelfan (“to dig under, undermine, break through”)

Descendants

• Middle English: delven, dælfen, delfan, dealve, delve, dalven, delvyn
  • English: delve
  • Scots: delve, dell, del
  • Yola: del