Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “scratching” come from?

Scratching comes from Middle English scracchen, of uncertain origin and ultimate etymology.

scratching (English): present participle of scratch; The act or sound...

Definitions

  1. present participle of scratch; The act or sound...

Ancestry of “scratching”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishscratchTo rub a surface with a sharp object, especially...
2Middle Englishscracchen—

Words derived from “scratching”

  • scratchingly
  • head-scratching
Every word from Middle English scracchen →