Etymograph / Myth vs. record / cop

Myth vs. record

cop

Every word has its own definition in its root. Some words also carry a story about where they came from. Here is what Wiktionary says about the story, and what the record shows.

What Wiktionary says about the story

An erroneous folk etymology derives it from the acronym “Constable On Patrol” (C.O.P.).

The record

Cop comes from English copper ‘police officer’.

1. English1500–presentcopper¹‘police officer’
2. Englishtodaycop¹

The full lineage of cop →