Deverbal from Middle High German *grippen, northern form of gripfen, from Proto-Germanic *gripjaną (whence also English grip), intensive form of *grīpaną (whence Luxembourgish gräifen). Alternatively from Middle High German *grappen (see the iterative grappeln), which is cognate with German grabbeln, Dutch grabben, grabbelen, English grab. However, the latter would regularly yield a long vowel in Luxembourgish. Compare also grapsen, German grapschen.