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Scrape

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means to drag a sharp or rough object across a surface, removing part of it

Where does the word "scrape" come from? It comes from Old Norse skrapa, passing through Middle English before entering English (late 1300s onward).

1
Stage 1 of 3
skrapa
Old Norse · medieval
"to scrape, erase"
meant to scrape or erase a surface, reinforcing a similar Old English word
2
Stage 2 of 3
scrapen
Middle English · early 1200s
"to make erasures, to erase"
first used for erasing writing with a knife
3
Stage 3 of 3
scrape
English · late 1300s onward
"to drag something rough or sharp across a surface"
broadened to removing any outer layer with a rough tool
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