Constable

A constable is a person doing a certain job, most commonly in law enforcement.  The work and role of a constable can vary a lot in different countries.

Historically,  the word constable comes from the Latin,  comes  stabuli, count of the stables. It came from the Eastern Roman Empire. Originally, the constable was the person who kept the horses of a lord or monarch.p103, Bruce, Alistair, Keepers of the Kingdom  (Cassell, 2002),  Constable,  Encyclopedia Britannica online The title was later used in the monarchies  of medieval  Europe. In many countries, the constable became a high military rank and great officer of State such as, the Constable of France.

In modern times, constables are law enforcement officers. In the United Kingdom,  Commonwealth of Nations and some European countries, a constable is the  lowest rank of police  officer. In the United States  a constable is usually an elected peace officer, with less powers than a sheriff. However, in the Channel Islands  a constable is an elected office-holder at the parish level.

Historically, a  constable could also be someone in charge of the defence of a castle. Even today, there is a Constable of the Tower of London.

It is a similar position to Marshal, which comes from Old High German  marah "horse" and schalh  "servant",  and originally meant "stable keeper",Jacob  und Wilhelm Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuch, Leipzig 1854-1960, Vol. 12  Col. 1673  Online-Version   which has a similar etymology.Online  Etymology Dictionary: Marshal. Accessed 8 August 2009.

References

Category:Law enforcement occupations