An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Griffel
Griffel, masculine, ‘slate pencil, graving tool, stylus,’ from the equivalent Middle High German griffel, Old High German griffil, masculine; related to greifen as Halter to halten?. Yet it is more probably based on a Teutonic root grep, ‘to dig’; compare Swedish urgrœpa, ‘to excavate,’ Old Swedish and Old Icelandic grôp, ‘pit,’ Low German Grüppe, ‘gutter.’