Copyist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkɑpiɪst/

Definitions

1. A person who reproduces texts or artworks by hand, creating duplicates of existing written or visual materials
2. An individual skilled at transcribing texts or artworks, faithfully replicating the original documents or images in detail and precision
3. A professional who specializes in creating accurate handwritten reproductions of written or artistic works, ensuring fidelity to the source material

Etymology: Copy-ist is a plain formation: the noun "copy" with the suffix "-ist," which English took from Latin "-ista" by way of Old French "-iste." The suffix's deeper ancestry runs through Ancient Greek "-istēs," a marker for someone who practises or follows something, so a copyist is, in effect, a person who makes a practice of copying. The base word "copy" comes from Latin "copia," meaning abundance or plenty, a sense it still carries in the older English phrase "copia" for a plentiful supply. Its sense of a reproduction arose later, from the idea of multiplying something into abundance. The compound "copyist" therefore joins a word for multiplication with a word for the practitioner.

Synonyms: transcriber, clerk, recorder, scribe, writer

Antonyms: originator, creator