An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/schroff

by Friedrich Kluge

schroff, adj., ‘rugged, rough, steep,’ ModHG. only, allied to MidHG. schrof (v), schroffe, schrove, m., ‘rocky cliff, stone wall’; allied to early MidHG. schruffen, ‘to split,’ OHG. scrëvôn, ‘to cut into’ (scrëvanga, ‘incision’), MidHG. schraf, ‘rocky cliff,’ AS. scrœf, ‘cave.’