To Teach Was Once to Show
A teacher helps others learn. The Old English verb meant to show or point out, which is a fair description of the job.
A teacher helps other people learn. The Old English *tæcan* meant to show or point out, and it is related to *token* and to Latin *dicere*, to say. Teaching began as showing, which is still the part that works best.
- Someone who teaches. *A primary school teacher.*
- Something instructive. *Experience is a hard teacher.*
- Teaching — the profession. *A career in teaching.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | teacher | A supply teacher. |
| Plural | teachers | Newly qualified teachers. |
| Verb | teach | Teach physics. |
| Past | taught | She taught for years. |
| Noun | teaching | Classroom teaching. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He teaches history to sixth formers.Teach a subject to people.
- She taught herself to code.Reflexive.
- Those who can, do.The unfair half of a very old jibe.
Teaching roles
- Teacher — leads a class
- Tutor — teaches one or a few
- Lecturer — teaches in higher education
- Teaching assistant — supports a class teacher
- Supply teacher — covers absences, called a substitute in America
From Old English *tæcan*, to show or instruct, related to *tacen*, a sign or token. The past tense *taught* preserves an old sound change now lost from the spelling.
Teach or learn?
A teacher teaches; a student learns. Using learn to mean teach is dialect and non-standard in writing.
Taught or teached?
Taught. It is an irregular verb, and the -ght spelling records a sound English no longer makes.