'scramble' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'scramblen' (recorded from the 16th century), though its exact ultimate origin is uncertain; it may be related to or influenced by dialectal words like 'scrabble' or Low German forms.

'scramble' appeared in Middle English as 'scramblen' meaning 'to struggle or climb'; by the early 17th century the verb also acquired the sense 'to mix or toss together' (as with eggs), and later senses such as 'to garble' or 'to dispatch quickly' developed.

Initially it meant 'to struggle or climb awkwardly,' but over time it evolved to include 'to mix (eggs),' 'to make unintelligible (signals),' and 'to dispatch quickly (troops, aircraft)', while retaining the original sense in contexts of climbing.