Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “copy” come from?

Copy comes from Middle English copy, from Old French copie, from Latin copia meaning abundance or plenty, derived from the prefix co- and the root h₃ep-.

copy (English): The result of copying; an identical duplicate of...

Definitions

  1. The result of copying; an identical duplicate of...

Ancestry of “copy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcopy—
2Old Frenchcopieabundance, plenty; transcript, copy
3Medieval Latincopiareproduction, transcript; copy; supply
4Latincōpia—
5Latincoopia—
6Latinco-allomorph of con-
7Latincōn-—
8Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
9Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
10Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankitt—
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin
18Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
19Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “copy”

  • copyright
  • photocopy
  • copyist
  • copier
  • copyhold
  • copycat
  • copyrightable
  • photocopier
  • copywriter
  • copybook
  • copyholder
  • microcopy
  • recopy
  • multicopy
  • phenocopy
  • uncopyrightable
  • copyrightability
  • photocopiable
  • copyboy
  • copyreader
  • copytext
  • copyism
  • telecopier
  • telecopy
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →