Английский Этимологический словарь - hack (1)

- in O.E. tohaccian "hack to pieces," from W.Gmc. *khak-, perhaps infl. by O.N. hцggva "to hack, hew," from PIE *kau- "to hew, strike." Sense of "short, dry cough" is 1802; slang sense of "cope with" (such as in can't hack it) is first recorded in Amer.Eng. 1950s, with a sense of "get through by some effort," as a jungle.