An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/scheren

by Friedrich Kluge

scheren, vb., ‘to shear, fleece, molest,’ from MidHG. schërn, OHG. scëran, ‘to shear, cut off’; comp. Du. scheren, AS. sčëran, ‘to shear, cut or hew to pieces,’ E. to shear, OIc. skera, ‘to cut, shear, slaughter.’ The prim. meaning of the root sker contained in these vbs. is ‘to cut or hew to pieces’ (comp. Lith. skírti, ‘to sever,’ skarà, ‘rag’), as is shown by the OTeut. skarda-, ‘hewn or cut to pieces,’ which originated in skṛ-tó- (see Scharte). Yet the meaning ‘to shear’ is very old; comp. the derivative Schere. The root sker (whence Sans. kšurás, ‘razor’?) appears in Gr. as ker in κείρω, ‘I shear.’