copper 1: 銅;從垃丁語cuprum來.the island of Cyprus.
copper 2: police;從cop動詞"逮住"來的.earlier copper (1846),
註意, from the verb cob (1846年已經用了)
所以它盡管是口語和俗語,但是有確切來源的詞匯.而且是已經壹百六十年的經典詞匯.
cop 1: cop,動詞,抓;1695–1705; cap to arrest, Scots cap to seize 和cap 以及我們常見的have(取得,擁有)同源.是十六世紀末引入英語的詞匯.
cop 2: cop,名詞,警察,由copper縮短而來.(前面已經解釋copper為cop動詞而來)
附:Dr. Orville的壹篇埔文.
A "copper" thus was the noun for "one who cops."
翻譯: copper 用來作為"抓捕者"的名詞.
The term "copper" was originally used in England as a slang word for a police officer. This term was used, however, as a term of abuse by criminals, especially petty street criminals. It was considered highly derogatory by the police themselves. It was made illegal in England to use this term for a police officer, because it was so derogatory.
翻譯: copper的詞幹最初用作英格蘭俚語詞匯,表示壹個警官.但是,這個詞幹被罪犯們爛(錯別字)用,龍其是街道罪犯們. 它被警察們自己認為是壹個貶義詞. 在英格蘭,把它用於警察是非法的.因為它嚴重貶義.
The term became associated with the metal copper after that law was passed, when those hoods who wanted to abuse an officer would carry a small piece of copper metal in the palm of their hand, then flash it at the policeman. This usage of "copper" got shortened to "cop." The first documented use of the term copper for a police officer is in 1846. The first documented use of the short form cop as applied to a police officer is in 1859.
這個詞幹在法律通過後,被(再次重新)聯系到金屬銅.那些想要漫罵警察的胡德黨們就會在他們的手腕上帶上壹片銅金屬.copper的這個用法返回來又縮短為cop.第壹篇使用copper指警察的文檔,出現在1846年.第壹篇使用cop應用於警察的文檔是1859年.
Even when I was a child in the US in the 1950s, though not illegal, it was still considered impolite to call a policeman a cop. We were taught it was only the bad boys who feared being caught by the police that called policemen cops. (It is only in comparatively recent history that police themselves have accepted and used the word for themselves.)
甚至1950年代我童年的美國,盡管非法,但是用cop稱呼警察仍然被看作是不禮貌的.我們接受的教育中,只有害怕被警察抓住的壞男孩才稱警察們為cops. 它只在
相對較近的歷史中,警察們才接受了它,並且自己使用cop/coppers指他們自己.
樓主的翻譯是錯誤的.
1,coppersmith 為銅匠.而copper僅指銅.
2,smith為鐵匠.
3,copper 與brass
copper是指紅銅，即純銅，顧名思義，外觀紅色，有金屬光澤，延展性和導電性，有金屬特征。
brass是指黃銅，即銅和鋅的合金。顧名思義，外觀黃色，也有金屬光澤和壹般金屬特性。所以：
1）兩者可以肉眼區分，因為兩者顏色不同。
2）兩者含銅量不同，copper是100%銅（自然界完全純凈物時不存在的，這只是說純度很高），brass是Zn和Cu的合金，相同體積時，銅含量沒有copper高。
3）Zn和Cu分別在金屬活動順數表當中的H前後，故用酸處理，copper是不反應的，顏色也不改變。而brass中的鋅會跟酸反應，隨著Zn反應而含量的減少，brass顏色會慢慢變紅。
4,Cu與copper
Cu 直接從cuprum(拉丁)來.Origin: < L cuprum
學習語言最好的方式是弄清壹個詞匯是怎麽來的.才能弄清它們具體應用的區別.從上可以看出,copper or cop盡管很早1846年已經出現,但它的含義卻經歷了幾個變化.
1,它壹直是罪犯和街頭混混,以及壞男孩們稱呼警察的貶義詞匯.這壹意義上,它不是口語.
2,但是由於美國文化的發展快速性,它已經成為壹個連警察自己也使用的稱呼了.當然這種意義上,它是口語.
3,在英語的官方文件和政府中,只使用policeman /police station.
4,在英國,copper /cop還相對是比較保守的詞匯.當然由於hellywood的影響,它已經被廣泛接受.但是和英國人對話,最好不要使用它.以示尊重.