An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/scharf

by Friedrich Kluge

scharf, adj., ‘sharp, acrid, acute,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. scharf, scharpf; in the same sense occur the corresponding forms OSax. scarp, Du. scherp, AS. sčearp, E. sharp, OIc. skarpr; Goth. *skarpa- is by chance not recorded. In the sense of ‘sharp, cutting,’ the following are also allied: — OHG. scrëvôn, ‘to cut in,’ OHG. scarbôn, MidHG. and ModHG. scharben, ‘to cut in pieces,’ as well as AS. sčeorfan, ‘to tear off’ (see schürfen), MidHG. schrapfe (Goth. *skrappô), ‘tool for scratching,’ E. to scrape; yet the final labials present a difficulty. OHG. and MidHG. sarpf, as an equiv. variant of scharf, is abnormal, so too OIc. snarpr, ‘sharp.’ From Teut. are derived Fr. escarper, ‘to cut steep down, escarp,’ escarpe, ‘slope,’ Ital. scarpa, ‘slope; locksmith's chisel.’ In the non-Teut. languages Gr. ἅρπη, ‘sickle,’ OSlov. srŭpŭ, ‘sickle,’ are allied to OHG. sarf, though, of course, this does not explain the form scharf, Goth. *skarpa-, which is perhaps connected with the Teut. root skrap (skrab, skrb), ‘to slit, cut in’ (see schröpfen).