ruffle

The story

1. Middle Low German · derived fromruffelen“to wrinkle, curl”
2. Old Norse · derived fromhrufla“to graze, scratch”
3. Middle English · inherited fromruffelen
4. English todayruffle

From Middle English ruffelen, perhaps from Old Norse hrufla (“to graze, scratch”) or Middle Low German ruffelen (“to wrinkle, curl”). Further origin unknown. Related to Middle Dutch ruyffelen, German Low German ruffeln. See English ruff.

Words from the same roots