Scrutiny
late Middle English: from Latin scrutinium, from scrutari ‘to search’ (originally ‘sort rubbish’, from scruta ‘rubbish’). Early use referred to the taking of individual votes in an election procedure.
wiktionary
From Middle English scrutiny, from Medieval Latin scrūtinium(“a search, an inquiry”), from Vulgar Latin scrūtor(“to search or examine thoroughly”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Late Latin scrūta(“rubbish, broken trash”); or of Germanic origin, related to Old English scrūtnung(“examination, investigation, inquiry, search”), from scrūtnian, scrūdnian(“to examine carefully, scrutinize, consider, investigate”), from Proto-Germanic *skrudōną, *skruþōną(“to search, examine”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)krewt-(“to cut”). Compare Old High German skrodōn, scrutōn, scrutilōn(“to research, explore”), Old High German scrod(“a search, scrutiny”), Old English scrēadian(“to shred, cut up, cut off, peel, pare, prune”). More at shred.
etymonline
scrutiny (n.)
early 15c., "a vote to choose someone to decide a question," from Late Latin scrutinium "a search, inquiry" (in Medieval Latin, "a mode of election by ballot"), from Latin scrutari "to examine, investigate, search," from PIE root *skreu- "to cut; cutting tool" (see shred (n.)). Meaning "close examination" first recorded c. 1600. Perhaps the original notion of the Latin word is "to search through trash," via scruta (plural) "trash, rags" ("shreds"); or the original sense might be "to cut into, scratch."
