English
scotch
Scotch comes from Middle English scocchen ‘to cut’, and goes back to Old French coche ‘notch’.
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400coche‘notch’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500scocchen‘to cut’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1606scotch
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400coche‘notch’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500scocchen‘to cut’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1606scotch
Earliest quotation: c. 1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Macbeth: “We have scotched the snake, not killed it.”
The story
Not related to Scotch.
Every English word from Old French coche
Today it means
noun A surface cut or abrasion.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old French coche / scotch