dig

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• /dɪɡ/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ɪɡ
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• /dɪd͡ʒ/
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• CMU ARPABET: D IH1 G Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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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.

Shortening.

Unknown. Compare Middle English digge.

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).

282 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Afrikaans: opgrawing — archeological investigation
• Bulgarian: разкопки (razkopki) — archeological investigation
• Catalan: excavació — archeological investigation
• Danish: udgravning — archeological investigation
• Dutch: opgraving — archeological investigation
• Finnish: kaivaukset — archeological investigation
• French: fouille — archeological investigation
• Georgian: გათხრა (gatxra) — archeological investigation
• Georgian: გათხრები (gatxrebi) — archeological investigation
• Georgian: ექსკავაცია (eksḳavacia) — archeological investigation
• German: Grabung — archeological investigation
• German: Ausgrabung — archeological investigation
• Greek: ανασκαφή (anaskafí) — archeological investigation
• Hebrew: חפירות (khafirot) — archeological investigation
• Icelandic: uppgröftur — archeological investigation
• Italian: scavi — archeological investigation
• Polish: wykopalisko — archeological investigation
• Portuguese: escavação — archeological investigation
• Russian: раско́пки (raskópki) — archeological investigation
• Slovene: izkop — archeological investigation
• Spanish: excavación — archeological investigation
• Swedish: utgrävning — archeological investigation
• Turkish: kazı — archeological investigation
• Afrikaans: grawe — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Afrikaans: spit — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Afrikaans: delf — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Albanian: rrëmoj — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Arabic: حَفَرَ (ḥafara) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Arabic: اِحْتَفَرَ (iḥtafara) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Arabic: حفر (ḥafar) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Aramaic: ܚܦܪ (ħpar) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• 'Are'are: 'eri — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Armenian: փորել (pʻorel) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Aromanian: arãm — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Aromanian: sap — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Assamese: খান্দা (khanda) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Assamese: খন্দা (khonda) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Azerbaijani: qazmaq — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Azerbaijani: eşmək — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Bangi: tima — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Belarusian: капа́ць (kapácʹ) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Belarusian: вы́капаць (výkapacʹ) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Bhojpuri: खोदल (khōdal) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Bulgarian: копа́я (kopája) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Bulgarian: разкопа́вам (razkopávam) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Bulgarian: ро́вя (róvja) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Bulgarian: ри́я (ríja) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Burmese: တူး (tu:) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Buryat: малтаха (maltaxa) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Carpathian Rusyn: копа́ти (kopáty) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Catalan: cavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Catalan: excavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Cherokee: ᎠᏍᎪᏍᎦ (asgosga) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Chinese Mandarin: 挖 (wā) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Chinese Mandarin: 挖掘 (wājué) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Chinese Mandarin: 掘 (jué) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ngazidja Comorian: utsimba — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Czech: kopat — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Czech: rýt — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Danish: grave — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Dutch: graven — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Dutch: delven — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Esperanto: fosi — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Estonian: kaevama — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Even: улдэй (uldəj) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Evenki: улэми (uləmi) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Finnish: kaivaa — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• French: creuser — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• North Frisian: greewe — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• North Frisian: greew — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Galician: escavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Galician: cavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Galician: escaravellar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Georgian: ბარვა (barva) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Georgian: თხრა (txra) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Georgian: გათხრა (gatxra) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Georgian: ამოთხრა (amotxra) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• German: graben — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Gothic: 𐌲𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽 (graban) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Greek: σκάβω (skávo) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ancient Greek: σκάπτω (skáptō) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ancient Greek: ὀρύσσω (orússō) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Hebrew: חָפַר (khafár) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Hindi: खोदना (khodnā) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• White Hmong: khawb — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Hungarian: ás — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Hungarian: túr — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Icelandic: grafa — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ido: exkavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ido: kavigar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ilocano: kali — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Indonesian: gali — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ingrian: kaivaa — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Irish: tochail — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Irish: rómhair — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Italian: scavare — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Japanese: 掘る (horu) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Javanese: dhudhuk — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Kalmyk: малтх (maltx) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Kapampangan: kulkul — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Kashubian: kòpac — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Kazakh: қазу (qazu) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Khmer: ជីក (ciik) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Korean: 파다 (pada) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Central Kurdish: کەندن (kendin) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Central Kurdish: ھەڵکەندن کۆڵین (hellkendin) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Central Kurdish: ھەڵکۆڵین (hellkollîn) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Kyrgyz: казуу (kazuu) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Lao: ຂຸດ (khut) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Latgalian: rakt — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Latgalian: best — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Latgalian: kast — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Latin: fodiō — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Latin: cavō — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Latvian: rakt — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Lingala: timola — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Lingala: tima — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Lithuanian: kasti — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Lithuanian: rausti — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Lü: ᦃᦳᧆ (ẋud) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Luxembourgish: gruewen — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Macedonian: ко́па (kópa) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Malay: gali — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Malay: korek — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Maltese: ħaffer — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Manchu: ᡶᡝᡨᡝᠮᠪᡳ (fetembi) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Mansaka: kari — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Māori: karituangi — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Māori: kari — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Māori: tīkakukaku — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Māori: ketu — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Māori: keri — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Māori: kō — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Māori: kōhure — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Māori: whakapākihi — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Māori: pūkari — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Marathi: खोदणे (khodṇe) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Marathi: खणणे (khaṇṇe) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Middle English: delven — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Middle English: graven — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Mongolian: малтах (maltax) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Mongolian: ухах (uxax) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Khiamniungan Naga: hèu — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Khiamniungan Naga: thēu — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Nanai: хулэ- (hule-) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Nepali: खन्नु (khannu) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Norman: creuser — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Norman: foui — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Norman: fouoilli — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Norwegian Bokmål: grave — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Norwegian Nynorsk: grava — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Occitan: cavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Occitan: excavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Odia: ଖୋଳିବା (khoḷibā) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Church Slavic: копати (kopati) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Church Slavic: рꙑти (ryti) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Old East Slavic: копати (kopati) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Old East Slavic: рꙑти (ryti) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Old English: delfan — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Old English: grafan — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Old English: dīcian — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Pannonian Rusyn: копац (kopac) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Papiamentu: koba — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Dari: کَنْدَن (kandan) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Iranian Persian: کَنْدَن (kandan) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Piedmontese: vanghé — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Polish: kopać — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Polish: wykopywać — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Polish: ryć — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Portuguese: cavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Portuguese: escavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Quechua: allay — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Quechua: haratay — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Rapa Nui: karo — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Romagnol: vanghêr — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Romanian: săpa — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Romanian: excava — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Romansh: stgavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Russian: копа́ть (kopátʹ) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Russian: выка́пывать (vykápyvatʹ) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Russian: вы́копать (výkopatʹ) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Russian: копну́ть (kopnútʹ) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Russian: рыть (rytʹ) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Russian: вы́рыть (výrytʹ) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Sanskrit: खनति (khanati) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Scottish Gaelic: cladhaich — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Serbo-Croatian: ко̀пати — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Serbo-Croatian: ри̏ти — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Serbo-Croatian: kòpati — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Serbo-Croatian: rȉti — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Shor: қазарға (qazarğa) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Slovak: kopať — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Slovak: ryť — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Slovene: kopati — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Slovene: ríti — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Somali: qodid — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Lower Sorbian: ryś — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Upper Sorbian: ryć — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Southern Altai: казар (kazar) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Spanish: ahondar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Spanish: cavar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Spanish: ahoyar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Spanish: escarbar — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Sundanese: kali — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Swedish: gräva — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tagalog: maghukay — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tagalog: hukayin — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tagalog: dukalin — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tajik: кандан (kandan) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tamil: தோண்டு (tōṇṭu) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tamil: நோண்டு (nōṇṭu) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tatar: казырга (qazırğa) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tausug: kali — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tetum: ke'e — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Thai: ขุด (kùt) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Tocharian B: rāp- — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Turkish: kazmak — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ottoman Turkish: قازمق (kazmak) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Turkmen: gazmak — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ukrainian: копа́ти (kopáty) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Ukrainian: ри́ти (rýty) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Urdu: کھودْنا (khodnā) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Uyghur: قازماق (qazmaq) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Uzbek: qazimoq — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Uzbek: chopmoq — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Vietnamese: đào — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Vietnamese: bới — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Welsh: cloddio — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Welsh: palu — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Yakut: хас (qas) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Yiddish: גראָבן (grobn) — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Zazaki: kenden — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Zazaki: kenen — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Zealandic: delve — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Zealandic: graeve — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Zulu: -mba — to move hard-packed earth out of the way
• Bulgarian: изкопа́вам (izkopávam) — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Finnish: kaivaa — get by digging, take up from the ground
• French: excaver — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Hungarian: ás — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Hungarian: kiás — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Irish: bain — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Lithuanian: kasti — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Lithuanian: iškasti — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Māori: houhou — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Māori: tīpoka — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Māori: karokaro — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Māori: hahu — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Māori: hauhake — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Māori: huke — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Nyunga: beena — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Polish: wykopać — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Portuguese: cavar — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Portuguese: escavar — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Ukrainian: вико́пувати (vykópuvaty) — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Ukrainian: ви́копати (výkopaty) — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Ukrainian: вирива́ти (vyryváty) — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Ukrainian: ви́рити (výryty) — get by digging, take up from the ground
• Czech: brát — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Danish: forstå — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Danish: være med — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Finnish: tajuta — slang: to understand or show interest in
• French: piger — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Hungarian: vág — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Icelandic: skilja — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Icelandic: vera með — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Irish: tuig — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Spanish: picar el interés — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Spanish: llamar la atención — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Swedish: vara med — slang: to understand or show interest in
• Czech: žrát — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Danish: kunne lide — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Finnish: digata — slang: to appreciate, or like
• French: kiffer — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Hungarian: bír — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Icelandic: fíla — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Norwegian: digge — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Portuguese: curtir — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Portuguese: gostar — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Spanish: caer bien — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Spanish: simpatizar — slang: to appreciate, or like
• Swedish: digga — slang: to appreciate, or like