school
/skuːl/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
skholē — leisure, spare time, place for discussion
Overview
Meaning Now
- An institution for educating children or students.
- A group of fish or other aquatic animals swimming together.
- A particular school of thought, style, or discipline.
Literal older meaning
leisure, spare time
Language path
Ancient Greek → Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
scole
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The evolution from 'leisure' to 'place of instruction' reflects the Greek cultural ideal that intellectual pursuit was a luxury possible only for those with the time to devote to it.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
skholē
“leisure, then the discussions held during leisure”
- Latin
schola
“a place of instruction”
- Old French
escole
“school, institution”
- Middle English
scole
“place of instruction”
Connections
Word parts
school
root
place of instruction
Related across languages
German
Schule
school
French
école
school
Explore next
Related to school
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.