An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/kratzen

by Friedrich Kluge

kratzen, verb, from the equivalent Middle High German kratzen, kretzen, Old High German chrazzôn, ‘to scratch’ (allied to Scandinavian krota, ‘to dig in,’ Gothic gakrutôn, ‘to grind’); previous to the High German permutation of consonants *kratton, whence Italian grattare, French gratter, ‘to scratch.’ Compare kritzeln.