schrabbelen

Forms

The Middle Dutch form is scrabbelen.^[1] West Flemish also has schrabelen.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch scrabbelen, a frequentative formed from Middle Dutch scrabben + -elen;^[1][2][3] Middle Dutch ⟨scrabben⟩ is modern schrabben “to scrape”.^[1][2][3] The MNW compares ⟨schraven⟩ and schrappen.^[1] Van Veen and Van der Sijs place ⟨schrabben⟩ in a group of sound-imitating words with ⟨schrappen⟩, schrapen, krabben and schravelen.^[4] De Vries sets its ⟨bb⟩ beside the single consonant of Middle Dutch scrâven (“to scratch, root about”), as ⟨pp⟩ in ⟨schrappen⟩ stands beside ⟨schrapen⟩.^[5] The WNT thinks ⟨schrabben⟩ may be a form with doubled consonant beside Old High German screvôn (“to scratch in”), though it also compares grabben and ⟨krabben⟩.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is a Middle Dutch text of 1340, in which a frightened horse begins to neigh loudly and scrabbelde metten voete, pawed the ground with its hoof.^[1]

Semantic evolution

In 1635 a writer says he has geschrabbelt a good deal of history in this way, that is, scribbled it down; the WNT found the word only a few times and glosses it as “scrawl, scratch”.^[2] The MNW notes that Bilderdijk used it of a sparrow, and that De Jager records schrabbelaar “bad writer, botcher”; a Low German schräbbeln meant “make a noise”, of children, young dogs and birds.^[1] Today it is a regional word for “scratch, scrawl”.^[6]

English scrabble, recorded from the 1530s as “to scrawl, scribble”, was taken from Dutch schrabbelen;^[3][6] “scrape or paw” followed about 1600 and “struggle, scramble” by the 1630s.^[3][6] The English word became the trade name of the letter game Scrabble, which German and Danish took over from English.^[6]

Timeline

• 1340 – Middle Dutch scrabbelen is first recorded, of a horse pawing the ground.^[1]
• 1530s – English scrabble “to scrawl” is first recorded, from Dutch.^[3]
• 1635 – Geschrabbelt is used of scribbled writing.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (regional) To scratch, scrape with the feet or claws.^[6][1]
2. (regional) To scrawl, write badly.^[2][6]

Word family

• schrabbelaar
• beschrabbelen

Related words

• schrabben
• schrappen
• krabbelen
• English scrabble

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
5. ^ Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e f Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)