The first cop

September 24th, 2009 at 07:00am Barry Wood

Word detectives have been on the trail of “cop” for a long time. More than one prime suspect has been encountered along the way.

One of the first was the metal “copper,” which reportedly was what the uniform buttons of British law officers of the time were made of. Or perhaps it was their badges.

Another was “COP,” the acronym, for “constable on patrol” or “constabulary of police” or even “chief of police.”

Both still have their defenders.

Webster’s New World College Dictionary suggests it came from the “north British dialectical form” of the obsolete “cap,” meaning “to seize.” And it says that probably could be traced back to the Latin verb “capere,” for “to take.”

But according to “Webster’s New Explorer Dictionary of Word Origins,” the case has been solved — and the culprit is an English verb “cop,” not “cap,” that appeared around 1700. It was slang for “to catch, capture,” and by 1844 it had appeared in print “to refer to what police do to criminals.”

Just two years later, “copper” appeared in print for “policeman” — “one who cops or catches or arrests criminals.”

In 1859, the noun “copper” was shortened to “cop.”

Would that case hold up in court? You be the judge.

Entry Filed under: word origins