cratch

cratch · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ger-“to scratch, carve, cut”
2. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*krattōn“to scratch”
3. Old High German · derived fromkrazzōn
4. Middle Low German · derived fromkratsen
5. Old Norse · derived from*kratsa
6. Middle English · inherited fromcratchen
7. English todaycratch

From Middle English cratchen, cracchen (“to scratch”), alteration of *cratsen (“to scratch”), from Old Norse *kratsa or Middle Low German kratsen, krassen (“to scratch”), both ultimately from Old High German krazzōn, crazōn (“to scratch”), from Proto-West Germanic *krattōn (“to scratch”), ultimately of uncertain, likely onomatopoeic origin, and/or derived from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to scratch, carve, cut”). Cognate with Icelandic krota (“to engrave”). Compare also Icelandic krassa (“to scrawl”), Danish kradse (“to scratch, scrape, claw”), Swedish kratsa (“to scratch”), Dutch kratsen (“to scratch”), German kratzen (“to scratch”), and Albanian gërresë (“rasp, scraper”). Doublet of grate.

cratch · noun²

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*kribjǭ
2. Frankish · derived from*krippjā
3. Old French · derived fromcreche“crib, manger”
4. Middle English · inherited fromcratche
5. English todaycratch

From Middle English cratche, cracche, crecche (“crib”), from Old French creche (“crib, manger”), from Frankish *krippjā, *kribbjā (“crib”), from Proto-Germanic *kribjǭ. More at creche, crib.

cratch · noun³

From Etymology 1.

Words from the same roots