An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/schroff

by Friedrich Kluge

schroff, adjective, ‘rugged, rough, steep,’ Modern High German only, allied to Middle High German schrof (v), schroffe, schrove, masculine, ‘rocky cliff, stone wall’; allied to early Middle High German schruffen, ‘to split,’ Old High German scrëvôn, ‘to cut into’ (scrëvanga, ‘incision’), Middle High German schraf, ‘rocky cliff,’ Anglo-Saxon scrœf, ‘cave.’