Copy
/ˈkɒpi/noun
A duplicate of an original text, image, object, or record.
Did you know?English copy ultimately comes from Latin *copia*, meaning “abundance” or “plenty,” so the word’s deep history is about having more than enough, not making a duplicate.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kap-
“to grasp, take”
Latin
Latin
copia
“abundance, plenty, wealth; also resources or means”
Old French
Old French
cople / copie
“a written transcript; reproduction of a text”
Middle English
English
copie
“a transcript, model, or example for imitation”
Modern English
English
copy
“a reproduction or duplicate of an original”
Explore more surprising origins