An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/tilgen

by Friedrich Kluge

tilgen, vb., ‘to extinguish, erase, eradicate,’ from MidHG. tîlgen (tîligen), OHG. tîligon, and also tîlôn, wk. vb., ‘to exterminate, extirpate.’ Comp. OSax. far-dîligôn, Du. delgen, AS. â-dîlgian, ‘to extirpate.’ It is remarkable that the word was borrowed from Lat. dêlêre, considering its wide diffusion in the West Teut. languages (we should also have expected *tialên in OHG.).