dive
/daɪv/
verb
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*dūbjaną — to immerse, to submerge
Overview
Meaning Now
- To plunge headfirst into water.
- To move or drop suddenly and quickly.
- To submerge oneself into an activity or environment.
Literal older meaning
To go deep
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
dȳfan
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The verb 'dive' stems from an ancient Germanic root related to depth. In Middle English, it was a strong verb ('dive', 'dove', 'diven'), but it has shifted toward a weak conjugation ('dived') in many varieties of English, though 'dove' remains common in North American English.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*dūbjaną
“to immerse”
- Old English
dȳfan
“to immerse, to submerge”
Weak verb form
- Middle English
diven
“to dive, to sink”
Strong verb conjugation (dove) began to emerge by analogy with related forms
- Modern English
dive
“to plunge, to submerge”
Connections
Word parts
dive
root
to plunge
Related across languages
Old High German
tūfan
to immerse
Old Norse
dȳfa
to dip
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.