'copyist' originates from the Latin word 'copia', meaning 'abundance' or 'plenty', which evolved into 'copier' in Old French, referring to someone who duplicates or reproduces text.

'copier' in Old French transformed into the English word 'copyist', referring to a person who makes copies of written material.

Initially, it meant 'someone who duplicates text', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.