In the copy editing world, what does [sic] mean? It's probaly Latin. Anyone have any clues?

Answer 1

Sic is a Latin word, originally sicut [1] meaning "thus", "so", or "just as that". In writing, it is placed within square brackets and usually italicized — [sic] — to indicate that an incorrect or unusual spelling, phrase, punctuation, and/or other preceding quoted material has been reproduced verbatim from the quoted original and is not a transcription error.

In the Italo-Western Romance languages it was the basis for their word for "yes": sí (Spanish), sim (Portuguese), sì (Italian), si (French for "yes, on the contrary"). Medieval Latin sometimes used sic as "yes", reflecting the Romance usage.

Answer 2

It means 'spelling incorrect' or 'usage incorrect'. For instance, you might see, 'He knows whose [sic] going to go.' The [sic] indicates that 'whose' is an incorrectly spelled word. (Should be who's - but I know you knew that.) The most famous use of the word sic (Latin for thus) was by John Wilkes Booth, who said 'sic semper tyrannis' after murdering Abraham Lincoln. Sic semper tyrannis means 'thus always to tyrants', or 'anyone else acts like he did gets the same treatment, capische?' - Stuart

Answer 3

sic /sik; Eng. sɪk/ Pronunciation[seek; Eng. sik]
–adverb Latin.

so; thus: usually written parenthetically to denote that a word, phrase, passage, etc., that may appear strange or incorrect has been written intentionally or has been quoted verbatim: He signed his name as e. e. cummings (sic).

Answer 4

It's when you intentionally mis-spell a word.
e.g. you're repeating an error by someone else.
Not sure where it comes fromme[sic].