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Apple of My Eye Origin: Why the Pupil is a “Linguistic Ghost”

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The story of how we came to call precious things the apple of my eye is a fascinating glimpse into ancient views about human anatomy. While it makes perfect sense to believe that the idiom is fully biblical in origin, perhaps regarding the Forbidden Fruit in the Garden of Eden (which wasn’t actually an apple), the truth is, it didn’t come from the Bible at all. Let’s take a glimpse into the ancient ideas that created a confusing expression: The true apple of my eye origin.

Illustration of the human eye reflecting the origin of the apple of my eye idiom.

Quick Key Takeaways: Apple of My Eye Origin

  • Not About Fruit: The “apple” in the expression originally referred to the pupil of the eye, not the fruit.
  • Anatomical Error: Ancient people believed the pupil was a solid, round ball, shaped like a small apple, and that it was the literal center of vision and the soul. The apple of my eye origin is the pupil, not the fruit!
  • Linguistic Evolution: In Old English, the word “apple” was used generically for any round fruit or object, making it the natural choice to describe the pupil.
  • The Sentiment: Because the pupil is both precious and vulnerable, calling someone the “apple of your eye” means you cherish and protect them above all else.

What Does Apple of My Eye Mean?

When we call someone the “apple of my eye” we are referring to someone precious; someone cherished. Our daughters, or sons we call the apple of our eye. Or our grandchildren. Or our significant other, our soul mate, as it were.

While it is tempting to assume apples were simply seen as a rare or precious commodity in the past, the metaphor is actually far more literal. Why the apple? To understand the choice, we have to look at how ancient people categorized both language and anatomy.

So, Why Apple?

Could apples be seen as precious? Well, perhaps, but there are many other better candidates, such as a precious jewel. In reality, the origin of the expression ‘apple of my eye’ has nothing to do with looking at a piece of prized fruit. It actually had to do with the eye itself, rather than something the eye looked on or regarded as precious.

Appearance of Apple of My Eye in the Bible

First of all, we find the phrase “Apple of My Eye” or variations on it in the bible several times, such as God calling the Israelites the apple of His eye. However, it’s important to know that these translations were English translations, and the bible did not actually originally use them.

In other words, the English expression was applied as an approximation of what was actually written. But it’s obvious that the idiom is quite old, and it comes from a mistaken belief about anatomy. Ancient peoples used to think that the pupil of your eye was not just round, but spherical, shaped like any piece of round fruit, such as an apple.

We see this pattern of translation ‘approximations’ throughout culinary history. For instance, when we read about salt losing its flavor, we often apply modern chemical logic to an ancient context that was actually describing impurities and physical stability, much like how the ‘apple’ was applied to the pupil.

“Apple” Was Originally a Generic Term for Fruit

The word apple has cognates in all the Germanic languages, and originally could refer to any type of fruit, not just the fruit we call an apple today. This is a classic ‘Linguistic Ghost.’ Just as ‘soy’ was named after the sauce, the ‘apple’ in our eye was named after a shape. Because the pupil was round and solid, and ‘apple’ was the default word for round fruit, the two became synonymous in the ancient mind

The Precious Solid Pupil Apple

This ‘apple’ was believed to be a solid sphere, serving as the essential center of vision. Many even believed it was the physical seat of the soul, making it the most precious and guarded part of the human body. Clearly, this was something that was precious and something you must guard and protect. We see this truth in our own behavior. We automatically shield our eyes by reflexively closing them and putting our hands up when our eyes and face are threatened. We also try to protect our eyes from bright sunlight, etc.

And, vision has traditionally been seen as the most important sense, even without all these other beliefs about the deeper importance of the pupil. 

So, this hard, round ball in the middle of your eye, shaped like a piece of fruit, and of such singular importance, was the “Apple of Your Eye.” You valued it and protected it. Just as you cherish, guard, and protect your loved ones, whom you consider just as the apple of your eye.

🍎 A Tale of Two Anatomical Apples The “apple of the eye” isn’t the only time we’ve used fruit to describe a body part. The Adam’s Apple shares a similar “Linguistic Ghost” history. While folklore says it’s a piece of the Forbidden Fruit stuck in Adam’s throat, the name likely comes from a translation error involving the Hebrew word for “bump” or “swelling.”

The Apple of My Eye Origin is Not a Modern Rule-Book

The fact that the ‘apple of my eye’ is actually a pupil shouldn’t change the way you use the phrase. Idioms are living fossils of how our ancestors viewed the world. Knowing that the ‘apple’ was once considered the most precious, vulnerable, and soul-bearing part of the human body only makes the sentiment deeper. Whether it’s an anatomical error or a linguistic ghost, calling someone the apple of your eye remains one of the highest compliments you can pay, even if you now know you’re technically talking about their pupil.

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