Where does “rent-a-cop” come from?
rent-a-cop (English) comes from English rent, from Middle English rent, from Old French rente, from Medieval Latin rendita, from Latin rendō, from Latin reddō, from Latin dō, from Proto-Italic didō — to give.
rent-a-cop (English): A private security guard, usually one regarded as inferior to and less skilled than an actual law enforcement officer
Definitions
- A private security guard, usually one regarded as inferior to and less skilled than an actual law enforcement officer
Ancestry of “rent-a-cop”, step by step
rent-a-cop traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English rent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rent | A payment made by a tenant at intervals in order... |
| 2 | Middle English | rent | rent: income; revenue |
| 3 | Old French | rente | income |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | rendita | — |
| 5 | Latin | rendō | — |
| 6 | Latin | reddō | to give back, return, restore |
| 7 | Latin | dō | to give |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | didō | give |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dédeh₃ti | to be giving |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₃- | to give |
via English A
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | A | The ordinal number first, derived from this... |
| 2 | English | AND | Alternative form of ∧, the conjunction operator;... |
| 3 | Middle English | and | and, and then; however, yet, but, though. while;... |
| 4 | Old English | and | and; even; also |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | andi | in addition, furthermore, and |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via English cop
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cop | To capture or arrest someone |
| 2 | Middle English | cop | summit; top, tip, topmost part; top of the head,... |
| 3 | Old English | cop | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *kopp | vessel, container, bowl |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kuppaz | round object; orb; vessel; container; bowl;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gup- | round object, knoll |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gew- | to bend, curve, arch, buckle; to bend, to curve;... |