Cope
/koʊp/noun
To deal successfully with a difficult situation or manage something stressful.
Did you know?English cope is historically tied to an old word for a sudden blow or strike, which is why the word’s deepest ancestry feels less like calm endurance and more like bracing for impact.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷebʰ-
“to strike, beat, or hit”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kōpōną
“to strike or hit”
Old English
OE
cōpan
“to strike, hit, or cope with”
Middle English
ME
copen
“to strike; later, to deal with or contend with”
Modern English
English
cope
“to deal with and endure successfully”