Puppet and Pupil Come From the Same Little Doll
A puppet is a figure worked by strings or hands. Its name comes from a doll, and so does the pupil of your eye.
A puppet is a figure moved by strings or a hand. The Latin *pupa* means a girl or doll, and it gave English three surprisingly distant relatives: *puppet*, *pupil* meaning a student, and *pupil* meaning the dark centre of the eye — so called because you can see a tiny reflected figure of yourself in someone else's eye.
- A figure worked by hand or string. *A glove puppet.*
- Someone controlled by another. *A puppet regime.*
- Puppetry — the art of puppets. *Traditional puppetry.*
- Pupil — the eye's aperture, from the same root. *A dilated pupil.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | puppet | A string puppet. |
| Plural | puppets | Two puppets. |
| Noun | puppeteer | A skilled puppeteer. |
| Noun | puppetry | Shadow puppetry. |
| Related | pupil | A wide pupil. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The eye's pupil is named for a little doll.The reflection you see in it.
- A marionette is worked by strings.From above.
- A puppet regime is externally controlled.Politics.
Kinds of puppet
- Marionette — controlled by strings from above
- Glove puppet — worn on the hand
- Rod puppet — worked with rods from below or behind
- Shadow puppet — flat figures cast against a lit screen
- Bunraku — Japanese puppetry with visible operators
From Old French *poupette*, a little doll, from Latin *pupa*, a girl or doll. The eye sense comes from the tiny reflected image.
Why is the eye's opening called a pupil?
Because you can see a tiny reflected image of yourself in it, resembling a little doll.
Are the two pupils related?
Yes. Both come from Latin *pupa* or *pupillus*, meaning a small child or doll.