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A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. ==Etymology== Historically, the title comes from the Latin ''comes stabuli'' (attendant to the stables, literally ''count of the stables'') and originated from the Roman Empire; originally, the constable was the officer responsible for keeping the horses of a lord or monarch.〔p103, Bruce, Alistair, ''Keepers of the Kingdom'' (Cassell, 2002), ISBN 0-304-36201-8〕〔(Constable ), Encyclopædia Britannica online〕 The title was imported to the monarchies of medieval Europe, and in many countries developed into a high military rank and great officer of State (e.g. the Constable of France, in French ''Connétable de France'', who was the commander-in-chief of all royal armed forces (second to the king) until prime minister cardinal Richelieu abolished the charge in 1627). Most constables in modern jurisdictions are law enforcement officers; in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth of Nations and some Continental European countries, a constable is the lowest rank of police officer (it is also, when preceded by the term 'sworn', used to describe any police officer with arrest and other powers), while in the United States a constable is generally an elected peace officer with lesser jurisdiction than a sheriff. However, in the Channel Islands a constable is an elected office-holder at the parish level. Historically, a constable could also refer to a castellan, the officer charged with the defense of a castle. Even today, there is a Constable of the Tower of London. An equivalent position is that of Marshal, which derives 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.〕 (Considering the origin of the word "marshal", the title and rank of ''Air Marshal'' in the British Royal Air Force and others has a very interesting literal meaning.) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Constable」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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