An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Krätze

by Friedrich Kluge

Krätze (1.), feminine, ‘dosser,’ from Middle High German kręzze, also kratte, masculine, ‘basket’; Old High German chręzzo and chratto, masculine, ‘basket.’ Perhaps the word is allied, on account of the MidHigh German variant krenze, with Kranz. On the other hand, Old High German chratto and Middle High German kratte suggest Anglo-Saxon cradol, English cradle, and also Dutch krat, Anglo-Saxon crœt, English cart (originally ‘cart-basket’?), English crate. With Greek κάρταλλος, ‘basket,’ these cognates cannot be connected.

Krätze (2.), feminine, ‘itch,’ from Middle High German kretz, kratz, allied to kratzen.