'aper' originates from English, formed from the noun 'ape' plus the agentive suffix '-er'.

'ape' comes from Old English 'apa' (from West Germanic), originally referring to the animal; the verb 'to ape' (meaning 'to imitate') developed by the 16th century, and the agent noun 'aper' emerged to mean 'one who apes'.

Initially related to the animal 'ape'; over time the verb 'to ape' gained the figurative sense 'to imitate', and 'aper' evolved to mean 'one who imitates'.