English → Latin
“copy” in Latin
exemplarmodel, pattern, example, original or ideal; copyexempluma sample, example; a warning example, deterrent; torture, exemplary penalty, chastisementepistolaa letter, epistle; a written imperial decreebalbusstammering, stuttering; lisping; fumblingimitorto represent, express, portray; to imitate, act like, copy after, seek to resemble, counterfeitdēscrībōto copy off or transcribe something from the original, write down, write out; to describe in painting or writing, draw, exscrībōto write out or off, copy; to write or note down; to take after, resembletrānscrībōto transfer in writing, copy off, transcribe; to alter, forge, falsify; to assign, convey, transferrescrībōto write back in reply; (of emperors or lawyers) to answer in writing a petition or legal question; to give a rescript o
The English word copy itself goes back to Latin ops, through copia.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
copy
Of any written document, etc., exemplar: exemplum: a copy of a speech written out by the author, oratio sua manu transcripta: an exact copy of a will, tabulae testamenti eodem exemplo: testamentum eodem exemplo (Caes., B.G., 3, 108; Suet., Tib., 76, Bremi): a copy of a letter, exemplar litterarum or epistolae: I have subjoined a copy of the letter, earum litterarum exemplum infra scriptum est: I have received a letter from Balbus, of which I send you a copy, habeo a Balbo litteras, quarum exemplum ad te misi.
Copy of a painting, exemplar (Plin.); imitatio; *tabula picta ad aliam expressa. To make or take a copy (of a picture, bust), etc., (imaginem) exscribere pingereque (Plin., Ep., 4, 28): picturam ex altera exprimere (Plin.): the copy of a copy, imitatio imitationis: to make a copy, imaginem exscribere.
Of a book, exemplar; exemplum: exemplar typis exscriptum (printed copy): before any copy was struck off, antequam liber typis exscribatur (exscriberetur): to publish a thousand copies of a work, librum in exemplaria millia transcribere, or, of printed copies, describendum curare.
A copy (to be imitated by one who is learning to write), versus ad imitationem scribendi propositus (after Quint., 1, 1, 35): litterae praeformatae (of single letters). To set a boy a copy, alicui praeformare litteras (Quint.; of single letters): alicui versum ad imitationem scribendi proponere (Quint.).
copy v.
Imitate, imitari: imitando or imitatione exprimere: imitando effingere (et exprimere). Vid: IMITATE.
Of writers, painters, etc.: describere: exscribere (of a writer or painter): exscribere pingereque (of a painter only): to copy after nature, or the life, similitudinem effingere ex vero: rescribere (i. e., to write over again, make another copy): to copy anything with one’s own hand, aliquid sua manu transcribere: to copy the fifth book of anybody’s work, a aliquo librum quintum describere: to copy a writer word for word without acknowledgement, auctorem ad verbum transcribere, neque nominare (Plin., Hist., Nat., praef., § 22); furari aliquid ab aliquo (stronger term).
Copied, descriptus: exscriptus: transcriptus.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for copy?
- The usual Latin words for “copy” are exemplar, exemplum, epistola; also balbus, imitor, dēscrībō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.