pupil

pupil
\ \ [14] Latin pūpus and pūpa meant respectively ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ (pūpa was applied by the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus to ‘chrysalises’, the underlying link being ‘undeveloped creature’, and English adopted it as pupa [19]). The diminutive derivatives pūpillus and pūpilla denoted ‘orphan’, a sense which remained with pūpill- as it passed via Old French pupille into English as pupil. ‘Person being taught’ did not emerge until the 16th century. The application of the word to the ‘black aperture in the eye’, which reached English in the mid-16th century, goes back to Latin pūpilla, which was also used for ‘doll’ – the notion being that if you stand close to someone and look into their eyes, you can see yourself reflected in the pupils like a little ‘doll’.
\ \ Cf.PUPA, PUPPET, PUPPY

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pupil — Pu pil, n. [F. pupille, n. fem., L. pupilla the pupil of the eye, originally dim. of pupa a girl. See {Puppet}, and cf. {Pupil} a scholar.] (Anat.) The aperture in the iris; the sight, apple, or black of the eye. See the Note under {Eye}, and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pupil — PUPÍL, Ă, pupili, e, s.m. şi f. Persoană minoră aflată sub tutela sau în grija cuiva (altul decât părinţii). – Din fr. pupille, lat. pupillus. Trimis de ana zecheru, 09.12.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  pupíl s. m., pl. pupíli Trimis de siveco, 09.12.2007 …   Dicționar Român

  • Pupil — Pu pil, n. [F. pupille, n. masc. & fem., L. pupillus, pupilla, dim. of pupus boy, pupa girl. See {Puppet}, and cf. {Pupil} of the eye.] 1. A youth or scholar of either sex under the care of an instructor or tutor. [1913 Webster] Too far in years… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pupil — Ⅰ. pupil [1] ► NOUN 1) a person who is taught by another, especially a schoolchild. 2) Brit. a trainee barrister. ORIGIN from Latin pupillus little boy and pupilla little girl . Ⅱ. pupil [2] …   English terms dictionary

  • pupil — pupil1 [pyo͞o′pəl] n. [ME pupille < MFr < L pupillus, pupilla, orphan, ward, dim. of pupus, boy, pupa, girl: see PUPA] 1. a person, esp. a young person, under the supervision of a teacher or tutor, as in school 2. Civil Law a minor under… …   English World dictionary

  • pupil — index disciple, neophyte, novice, protégé Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Pupil — Egalement Pupile, Pupille. Le nom, assez rare, se rencontre dans diverses régions, le plus souvent méridionales (Tarn et Garonne notamment). Issu du latin pupilius, il a en gros le même sens qu aujourd hui (enfant confié à un tuteur) …   Noms de famille

  • pupil — [n] person who is learning something adherent, attendant, beginner, bookworm*, brain*, catechumen, disciple, first year student, follower, graduate student, junior, learner, neophyte, novice, satellite, scholar, schoolboy/ girl, senior, sophomore …   New thesaurus

  • pupil — {{/stl 13}}{{stl 8}}rz. mos V, lm M. e, D. ów || i {{/stl 8}}{{stl 7}} człowiek (także zwierzę) przez kogoś faworyzowany, będący czyimś ulubieńcem; faworyt, beniaminek : {{/stl 7}}{{stl 10}}Chłopiec od najmłodszych lat był pupilem dziadka. Ten… …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • Pupil — The pupil is the hole that is located in the center of the iris of the eye and that controls the amount of light that enters the eye.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. Dictionary of Eye Terminology . Gainsville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company, 1990.]… …   Wikipedia

  • pupil — pupil1 pupilless, adj. /pyooh peuhl/, n. 1. a person, usually young, who is learning under the close supervision of a teacher at school, a private tutor, or the like; student. 2. Civil Law. an orphaned or emancipated minor under the care of a… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”