Английский Этимологический словарь - scotch (v.)

- "stamp out, crush" (1825), earlier "make harmless for a time" (1798), from scocchen "to cut, score, gash" (c.1412), perhaps from Anglo-Fr. escocher, O.Fr. cocher "to notch, nick," from coche "a notch, groove," probably from L. coccum "berry of the scarlet oak," which appears notched, from Gk. kokkos.