Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Scotch” come from?

Scotch derives from Middle English -isch, Old English -isċ, Proto-West Germanic -isk, Proto-Germanic -iskaz, and Proto-Indo-European -iskos, a suffix forming adjectives of origin or relation.

Scotch (English): The people of Scotland; Whisky distilled in...

Definitions

  1. The people of Scotland; Whisky distilled in...

Ancestry of “Scotch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishscocchento score, nick, cut; to cut
2Old Frenchescocherto notch
3Old Frenchçoche—
4Vulgar Latin*tsucca—
5Gaulishtsukka—
6Proto-Germanicstukkazstick; beam; post; stump
7Proto-Indo-European(s)tewg-to push, to hit
8Proto-Indo-European(s)tew-to push, to hit

Words derived from “Scotch”

  • Scotchman
  • Scotchwoman
  • Scotchgard
  • Scotchness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew- →