Where does “pupil” come from?
Pupil comes from Middle French pupille, from Latin pupilla meaning "girl" or "doll," derived from pupa meaning "girl" or "doll," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European peh₂w-.
pupil (English): A learner under the supervision of a teacher or...
Definitions
- A learner under the supervision of a teacher or...
Ancestry of “pupil”, step by step
pupil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English pupille
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pupille | — |
| 2 | Old French | pupille | orphan |
| 3 | Latin | pūpilla | — |
| 4 | Latin | pupula | pupil; little lass |
| 5 | Latin | pupa | girl, little girl; doll, puppet; pupa |
| 6 | Latin | pupus | a boy, a child; a puppet; the pupil of the eye |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂w- | few, little; smallness |
via Middle French pupille
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | pupille | — |