scrocco.

Borrowed from Old High German *scurgo (attested in Old High German fiurscurgo (“fire-maker, stoker”); modern German Schurke, schüren), from Old High German scurgen, from or related to Proto-West Germanic *skeran (“to cut, shear”). An alternative etymology suggests that Italian scrocco and French escroc derive from Ancient Greek αισχροκερδής (aischrokerdḗs), meaning ‘greedy for disgraceful gain’ or ‘profiteering dishonestly.’ This hypothesis is semantically stronger than the proposed Old High German scurgo, which lacks a direct connection to fraud or dishonesty. Given the influence of Greek on Latin, αισχροκερδής could have entered Vulgar Latin in a simplified form, evolving naturally into scrocco.