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Digging Up the History of Delve
We must dig deep into the English language’s past to find the origins of delve. The verb traces to the early Old English word delfan meaning “to dig.” For centuries, there was only delving—no digging—because dig didn’t exist until much later; it appears in early Middle English. Given dig and delve’s overlapping meanings today, is the phrase “dig and delve” (as in the line “eleven, twelve, dig and delve,” from the nursery rhyme that begins “one, two, buckle my shoe”) redundant? Not necessarily. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, in some local uses, dig was the term for working with a mattock (a tool similar to an adze or a pick), while delve was reserved for work done using a spade. Although delve has a history of use for literal digging, nowadays the term is often applied to carefully researching or examining something, as in “delving into the past.”
Examples of delve in a Sentence
Neda Ulaby, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
The Supreme Court delved into the point at which the use of the bully pulpit crossed the line.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
Starring Tyriq Withers as Cameron Cade, the story delves deep into the temptations that young athletes face on the journey to going pro, and just how much one is willing to sacrifice for success.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 19 Sep. 2025
The book delves into the mythological and spiritual roots of the Orishas, following their journey from West African cosmologies, across the Atlantic, and into the diasporic experience.
—Yola Robert, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for delve
Cite this Entry
“Delve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delve. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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