The Pupil of Your Eye Is a Little Doll
A pupil is a schoolchild and also the dark opening of the eye. Both come from the Latin for a small child.
A pupil is a student, and also the dark circular opening at the centre of the eye. Both come from Latin *pupilla*, a little girl or doll — the eye sense because when you look closely into someone's eye you see a tiny reflection of yourself, like a small doll standing there. Greek used the same image, and so does Hebrew. The student sense comes from the related *pupillus*, a minor or ward, someone under the care of a guardian.
- A schoolchild. *A bright pupil.*
- The eye's opening. *Dilated pupils.*
- Latin — *pupilla*, little doll. *The source.*
- Pupillary — of the pupil. *Pupillary response.*
- Puppet — from the same root. *A puppet.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pupil | A pupil. |
| Plural | pupils | Pupils. |
| Adjective | pupillary | Pupillary. |
| Related | puppet | A puppet. |
| Latin | pupilla | Little doll. |
- The school has 400 pupils.Student.
- Her pupils widened in the dark.Eye.
- You see yourself reflected there.Etymology.
The little-doll family
- Pupil — a small child, then a student
- Pupil (eye) — from the tiny reflected figure
- Puppet — a small figure worked by strings
- Pupa — the doll-like stage of an insect
- Pupillage — the training period of a barrister
Latin *pupilla*, a little girl or doll, a diminutive of *pupa*, girl. The eye sense refers to the small reflected image.
Why is the eye opening called a pupil?
Because looking closely into someone's eye shows a tiny reflection of yourself, like a little doll, which is what pupilla means.
Are pupa and pupil related?
Yes. A pupa is named for its doll-like appearance, from the same Latin word.