Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “cratchen” come from?

cratchen (Middle English) comes from Old Norse kratsa, from Old High German crazōn, from Proto-Germanic krattōną, from Proto-Indo-European gred-, from Proto-Indo-European ger- — to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Ancestry of “cratchen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsekratsa—
2Old High Germancrazōnto scratch
3Proto-Germanickrattōnąto scratch, scrawl
4Proto-Indo-Europeangred-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Words derived from “cratchen”

  • cratch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger- →