From Middle Dutchschrapen(“to scrape”). Ultimately from Proto-Germanic*skrapōną(“to scrape”), from Proto-Indo-European*skreb-, *skrep-(“to engrave”). Forms doublets with Dutch schrappen(“to strike through; to cancel; to scrap”) and schrabben(“to scratch”). Related to schrabbelen(“to scratch repeatedly”). Cognate to English scrape, scrap and scrab.