An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/schaben

by Friedrich Kluge

schaben, vb., ‘to shave, scrape, scratch,’ from MidHG. schaben, OHG. scaban, ‘to scratch, erase, scrape,’ corresponding to Goth. skaban, ‘to shear’; OIc. skafa, ‘to scratch, shave,’ AS. sčęafan, E. to shave, Du. schaven, ‘to shave, smooth.’ Teut. root skab, from the pre-Teut. root skā̆p; comp. Gr. σκάπ-τω, ‘to dig,’ σκαπάνη, ‘spade,’ Lith. skópti, ‘to hollow out,’ skáptas, ‘woodcarver's knife’; allied also probably to Lat. scabo, ‘to scratch, shave,’ OSlov. skoblĭ, ‘spokeshave,’ Lith. skabùs, ‘sharp’ (Aryan root skā̆b). See the preceding words as well as Schuppe and Schaft.