An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schrot

by Friedrich Kluge

Schrot, neuter, ‘block, log of wood, shot, groats,’ from Middle High German schrôt, masculine, ‘cut, incision, piece cut or sawed off,’ Old High German scrôt, ‘cut’; allied to schroten, Middle High German schrôten, Old High German scrôtan, ‘to hew, cut, cut off, hack to pieces,’ Middle High German also ‘to cut out clothes’ (whence schrôtœre, ‘tailor,’ and the proper name Schröter), ‘to roll, revolve.’ Compare Scandinavian skrjôðr, ‘torn book,’ Anglo-Saxon screádian, ‘to cut,’ English to shred, to which also Anglo-Saxon scrûd, ‘dress,’ English shroud, are allied. Root skrū̆d from skrū̆t?. With this is connected Latin scrûtari, ‘to examine,’ to which Anglo-Saxon scrudnian and Old High German scrotôn, ‘to examine,’ are allied?. Modern High German Hornschröter, ‘horn-beetle,’ from Middle High German schrœtel, literally ‘gnawer.’