Discipulus
/dɪˈsɪp.jʊ.ləs/noun
A pupil, student, or follower.
Did you know?Discipulus is the Latin source behind English words like disciple and discipline, showing how learning, obedience, and training were historically bound together.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dek-
“to take, accept”
Old Latin
Latin
discere
“to learn”
Classical Latin
Latin
discipulus
“a learner, pupil, follower”
Old French
Old French
discipule / disciple
“a follower or adherent, especially of a teacher or master”
Middle English
English
disciple
“a follower of Christ or a religious teacher”
Modern English
English
disciple
“a follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosophy”
Explore more surprising origins