English
Scotch
Scotch comes from Middle English *Scoche.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*Scochereconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1801Scotch
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*Scochereconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1801Scotch
Earliest quotation: 1801, William Hanna, Memoirs of the life and writings of Thomas Chalmers: “Behind all his assumed unsocialism there lay a true…”
The story
From Middle English *Scoche (attested in Scocheman, whence Scotchman), a contraction of Scottisch, whence Scottish. The chess opening is supposedly named after a correspondence game between Edinburgh, Scotland, and London, England.
Every English word from Middle English *Scoche
Today it means
name The Scots language.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English *Scoche / Scotch