English

tipstaff

From tip + staff.

A compound of tip + staff

Middle English tip

English tip

Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ- ‘to stand still’

…

Proto-Germanic *stabaz ‘staff’

Proto-West Germanic *stab

Old English stæf ‘letter of the alphabet’

Middle English staf ‘a staff used to support one's movement’

English staff

Today it means

noun A ceremonial staff, with a metal tip, carried by a constable or bailiff etc as a sign of office

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / tipstaff