Pupil
/ˈpjuːpɪl/noun
A student or learner, or the dark circular opening in the center of the eye.
Did you know?The eye meaning comes from Latin *pupilla* (“little girl”), because the tiny reflected image in the pupil was imagined as a small person, not because of any occult tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peu̯-
“to be small, few”
Latin
Latin
pupus / pupa
“boy / girl; child”
Classical Latin
Latin
pupilla
“little girl; later, the pupil of the eye”
Old French
Old French
pupil(e)
“a ward or student”
Middle English
English
pupil
“a student or ward”
Modern English
English
pupil
“a student; also the central opening of the eye”