delven

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch delven, from Old Dutch *delvan, from Proto-West Germanic *delban, from Proto-Germanic *delbaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛlvə(n)/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: del‧ven
• Rhymes: -ɛlvən

Verb

delven

1. (transitive) to delve, dig, excavate

Inflection

Conjugation of delven (strong class 3b)
infinitive	delven
past singular	dolf
past participle	gedolven
infinitive	delven
gerund	delven n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	delf	dolf
2nd person sing. (jij)	delft	dolf
2nd person sing. (u)	delft	dolf
2nd person sing. (gij)	delft	dolft
3rd person singular	delft	dolf
plural	delven	dolven
subjunctive sing.1	delve	dolve
subjunctive plur.1	delven	dolven
imperative sing.	delf
imperative plur.1	delft
participles	delvend	gedolven
1) Archaic.

Conjugation of delven (weak)
infinitive	delven
past singular	delfde
past participle	gedelfd
infinitive	delven
gerund	delven n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	delf	delfde
2nd person sing. (jij)	delft	delfde
2nd person sing. (u)	delft	delfde
2nd person sing. (gij)	delft	delfde
3rd person singular	delft	delfde
plural	delven	delfden
subjunctive sing.1	delve	delfde
subjunctive plur.1	delven	delfden
imperative sing.	delf
imperative plur.1	delft
participles	delvend	gedelfd
1) Archaic.

Derived terms

• bedelven
• delfstof
• het onderspit delven
• indelven
• omdelven
• ontdelven
• opdelven
• uitdelven
• verdelven

Related terms

• Delft

Anagrams

• levend, velden

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *delvan, from Proto-West Germanic *delban, from Proto-Germanic *delbaną.

Verb

delven

1. to delve, to dig, to excavate (create by digging)
2. to bury

Inflection

Strong class 3
Infinitive	delven
3rd sg. past	dalf
3rd pl. past	dolven
Past participle	gedolven
Infinitive	delven
In genitive	delvens
In dative	delvene
Indicative	Present	Past
1st singular	delve	dalf
2nd singular	delfs, delves	dolfs, dolves
3rd singular	delft, delvet	dalf
1st plural	delven	dolven
2nd plural	delft, delvet	dolft, dolvet
3rd plural	delven	dolven
Subjunctive	Present	Past
1st singular	delve	dolve
2nd singular	delfs, delves	dolves
3rd singular	delve	dolve
1st plural	delven	dolven
2nd plural	delft, delvet	dolvet
3rd plural	delven	dolven
Imperative	Present
Singular	delf, delve
Plural	delft, delvet
	Present	Past
Participle	delvende	gedolven

Descendants

• Dutch: delven
• Limburgish: dèlve

Further reading

• “delven (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “delven”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Alternative forms

• dælfen, delfan, dealve, delve, dalven, delvyn

Etymology

From Old English delfan, from Proto-West Germanic *delban, from Proto-Germanic *delbaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛlvən/

Verb

delven

1. To dig or delve; to remove earth:
   1. To retrieve or access via digging.
   2. To furrow; to dig for an agricultural purpose.
      • 1381 June 12, John Ball, Sermon at Blackheath:

        Whan Adam dalf, and Eve span; / Wo was thanne a gentilman?

        When Adam delved and Eve spun; / Who was a nobleman then?

   3. To install or integrate; to dig in.
   4. To entomb; to dig a tomb or prepare a burial.
2. (rare) To penetrate the depths of something.

Conjugation

Conjugation of delven (strong class 3 or weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) delven, delve
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	delve	dalf, delved
2nd-person singular	delvest	dolve, dalf, delvedest
3rd-person singular	delveth	dalf, delved
subjunctive singular	delve	dolve1, delved1
imperative singular		—
plural2	delven, delve	dolven, dolve, delveden, delvede
imperative plural	delveth, delve	—
participles	delvynge, delvende	dolven, delved, ydolven, ydelved

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

• bidelven
• delf
• delvere
• delvynge
• under-delven

 

Descendants

• English: delve
• Scots: delve, dell, del
• Yola: del

References

• “delven, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-09.