An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/raufen

by Friedrich Kluge

raufen, verb, ‘to pluck, pull out,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German roufen (Middle High German also röufen); corresponding to Gothic raupjan, ‘to tear out, pluck off.’ A Teutonic root raup (see rupfen) has not yet been found elsewhere; it is, however, probably connected with the Aryan root rup, ‘to break’ (see Raub). —