Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “raffen” come from?

raffen (German) comes from Middle High German raffen, from Old High German hraffon, from Proto-West Germanic hrapōn, from Proto-Germanic hrapōną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kreb(h)-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer- — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.

raffen (German): To snatch up, grasp; To understand

Definitions

  1. To snatch up, grasp; To understand

Ancestry of “raffen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanraffen—
2Old High Germanhraffonto grasp, to snatch
3Proto-West Germanichrapōnto snatch
4Proto-Germanichrapōnąto scratch, scrape; to graze, make contact ,...
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kreb(h)-—
6Proto-Indo-European(s)ḱer-dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth

Words derived from “raffen”

  • raffgierig
  • Raffgier
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer- →