"small mammal," O.E.
screawa "shrew-mouse," unknown outside English, perhaps from P.Gmc.
*skreu- "to cut" (see
shred). Alternate O.E. word for it was
scirfemus, from
sceorfan "to gnaw." The meaning "peevish, malignant, clamorous, spiteful, vexatious, turbulent woman" [Johnson] is c.1386, from earlier sense of "spiteful person" (male or female), c.1250, traditionally said to derive from some supposed malignant influence of the animal, which was once believed to have a venomous bite and was held in superstitious dread.
Shrewish "scolding" is from 1565, originally "wicked, evil" (1375).
[shroo] 
