'claw' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'clawu', meaning a hooked nail or talon; it is also traced to Proto-Germanic '*klawō' or similar forms.

'claw' changed from Old English word 'clawu' to Middle English 'clawe' and eventually became the modern English word 'claw', with derived forms like 'clawed' for past tense/ adjective use.

Initially it meant 'a hooked nail or talon on an animal's foot', and over time it has largely retained that sense while also being used figuratively (to scratch, to seize).