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Origin and history of student

student(n.)

late 14c., studient, "studious person, one who pursues knowledge," from Old French estudiant "student, scholar, one who is studying" (Modern French étudiant), noun use of present participle of estudiier, from Medieval Latin studiare "to study," from Latin studium (see study (v.)).

Forms without an -i- or -y- in the middle appear by early 15c. Also see e-.

 An Old English word for it was leorningcild "student, disciple," in modern form learning-child. In modern use (from c. 1900) it tends to mean "scholar enrolled in an institute of primary or secondary learning." For "students collectively," studentry has been tried (1830).

Student-teacher (n.), in reference to a teacher in training working in a classroom under the supervision of a head teacher, is from 1851, American English (pupil-teacher in the same sense is by 1838).

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to student

study(v.)

early 12c., studien, "to strive toward, devote oneself to, cultivate" (virtue, vice, wisdom, art, etc., sometimes translating Latin occupare), from Old French estudiier "to study, apply oneself, show zeal for; examine" (13c., Modern French étudier).

This is from Medieval Latin studiare, from Latin studium "study, application," originally "eagerness," from studere "to be diligent," which is reconstructed to be from PIE *(s)teu- (1) "to push, stick, knock, beat" (see steep (adj.)). The notion appears to be "pressing forward, thrusting toward," hence "striving after."

Martha swanc and becarcade to geforðigene þan Hælende and his þeowen þa lichamlice behefðen. Seo studdede emb þa uterlice þing. ["Homily for the Feast of the Virgin Mary," c. 1125]

It is attested from c. 1300 specifically as "apply oneself to the acquisition of learning, pursue a formal course of study," also "read (a book or writings) intently or meditatively." It is from mid-14c. as "reflect, muse, think, ponder."

The broad meaning "seek to learn particulars of by observation" is from c. 1600; that of "regard attentively" is from 1660s. Related: Studied; studying.

stooge(n.)

1913, "stage assistant, actor who assists a comedian," a word of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of student (with the mispronunciation STOO-jent) in sense of "apprentice."

The meaning "lackey, person used for another's purpose" is recorded by 1937. The Three Stooges film slapstick act debuted on screen in 1930, originally as "Ted Healy and His Stooges."

e-

the later Romans evidently found words beginning in sc-, sp-, st- difficult or unpleasant to pronounce; in Late Latin forms begin to emerge in i- (such as ispatium, ispiritu), and from 5c. this shifted to e-. The development was carried into the Romanic languages, especially Old French, and the French words were modified further after 15c. by natural loss of -s- (the suppression being marked by an acute accent on the e-), while in other cases the word was formally corrected back to the Latin spelling (for example spécial). Hence French état for Old French estat for Latin status, etc. It also affected Romanic borrowings from Germanic (such as espy, eschew).

A different e- is a reduced form of Latin ex- before consonants (see ex-), and the e- in enough is an unfelt survival of an Old English alternative form of ge-.

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    scholar
    Middle English scolere, from Old English scolere "student, one who receives instruction in a school, one who learns from a teacher," from Medieval Latin scholaris, "a pupil, scholar," noun use of Late Latin scholaris "of a school," from Latin schola (see school (n.1), and compare
    pupil
    [student], late 14c., "orphan child, ward, person under the care of a guardian," from Old French pupille (14c.) and directly from Latin pupillus (fem. pupilla) "orphan child, ward, minor," diminutive of pupus "boy" (fem. pupa "girl"), probably related to puer "child" (and thus pr
    humanist
    1580s, "student of the classical humanities, one accomplished in literature and classical culture," from French humaniste...(16c.), formed on model of Italian umanista "student of human affairs or human nature," coined by Italian poet Lodovicio...In this use, the original notion appears to be "human" as opposed to "divine," that is, a student of the human achievements...
    baccalaureate
    1620s, "university degree of a bachelor," from Modern Latin baccalaureatus, from baccalaureus "student with the first degree...," an alteration of Medieval Latin baccalarius "one who has attained the lowest degree in a university, an advanced student...Perhaps it is ultimately from Latin baculum "staff" (see bacillus), which the young student might carry....
    hot dog
    Many early references are in college student publications; later popularized, but probably not coined, by cartoonist T.A....A hard student. 4. A conceited person....
    humbug
    1751, in Oxford and Cambridge student slang, "a trick, jest, hoax, imposition, deception," a word of unknown origin; it also...[The Student, vol....
    cadet
    . 1610, "younger son or brother;" 1650s, "gentleman entering the military as a profession;" from French cadet "military student...Meaning "student at a military college" is from 1775....
    intellectual
    late 14c., "grasped by the understanding" (rather than by the senses), from Old French intellectuel (13c.) and directly from Latin intellectualis "relating to the understanding," from intellectus "discernment, understanding," noun use of past participle of intelligere "to underst
    initiate
    "one who has been initiated" (in secret doctrines, etc.), 1732, from obsolete or archaic past-participle adjective initiate "initiated, instructed in secret knowledge" (c. 1600), from Latin initiatus (see initiate (v.))....c. 1600, "introduce to some practice or system," also "be
    manual
    "of or pertaining to the hand; done, made, or used by hand;" c. 1400, from Latin manualis "of or belonging to the hand; that can be thrown by hand," from manus "hand, strength, power over; armed force; handwriting," from PIE root *man- (2) "hand." The military manual exercise (17

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