Where does “cop” come from?

cop (Old French) comes from Vulgar Latin colpus, from Latin colaphus, from Ancient Greek κόλαφος, from Ancient Greek κόνδυλος — knuckle; knot in a string; any hard, bony knob.

cop (Old French): Alternative form of colp; blow

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of colp; blow

Ancestry of “cop”, step by step

cop traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vulgar Latin colpus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vulgar Latincolpusstroke
2Latincolaphusa blow with the fist; cuff
3Ancient Greekκόλαφοςa buffet, a blow
4Ancient Greekκόνδυλοςknuckle; knot in a string; any hard, bony knob

via Frankish *kopp

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frankish*kopp—

Words derived from “cop”

Every word from Ancient Greek κόνδυλος →Every word from Ancient Greek κόλαφος →Every word from Latin colaphus →