Obs. [a. F. copiste (in Cotgr., 1611) or med.L. copista, f. F. copier to COPY.] The earlier form of COPYIST.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, VI. 464. The Copists have written ἄλλαι instead of Ἄλαι.
1696. Phil. Trans., XIX. 328. Added by Readers or Copists.
1706. Art of Painting (1744), 64. The fear of passing beyond the bounds of this exactness … makes the hand of the copist stiff.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), I. 354. He is … no other than a copist after nature.
1779. Applegarth, Surv. Hum. Und., iii. 156, note. To the Errors of Translators and Copists.
b. Name of certain officials in the Ecclesiastical Court.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 358 b. Wherein reygneth … For Evangelistes, cruell Canonistes, Copistes, Decretaries.
1587. J. Harmar, trans. Beza’s Serm., 134 (T.). Proctors in the court ecclesiasticall, Dataries, Bullists, Copistes &c.
