constable
English
/ˈkʌnstəbəl/, /ˈkɑnstəbəl/
noun
Definitions
- One holding the lowest rank in most Commonwealth police forces. (See also chief constable (chief constable).)
- (UK) A police officer or an officer with equivalent powers.
- (historical) An officer of a noble court in the Middle Ages, usually a senior army commander. (See also marshal (marshal)).
- The warden of a castle.
- (US) A public officer, usually at municipal level, responsible for maintaining order or serving writs and court orders.
- (Channel Islands) An elected head of a parish (also known as a connétable)
- A large butterfly, , family Nymphalidae, of Asia.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English constable derived from Old French conestable (constable) derived from Latin comes stabulī (officer of the stables).
Origin
Latin
comes stabulī
Gloss
officer of the stables
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- constablery English
- constableship English
- constabless English
- constablewick English
- underconstable English
- wick English
- comes Latin
- comes stabulī Latin
- stabulī, comes stabulum Latin
- connétable French
- констебль Russian
- konstapel Swedish
- constable Middle English
- constábla Irish
- conestable Old French
- connêtabl'ye Norman
- counnétablle Norman