In oculos puellarum specto…

[Tlepolemus]

Att. κόρη, Lat. pupula, Esp. niña, Eng. pupil.
Cur haec vocabula omnia duam significationem habent: 1) puella, juvencula, virgo; 2) nigricans pars oculi?

P.S. I had to ask Google before posting my question on this forum. It was already explained here.

 

[Glabrigausapes]

The Latin is simply a calque of the Greek. The English word does not inherit the Latin meaning; that is, 'pupil' cannot be used to mean 'young girl'.

The native English word for 'pupil' would have been *see, which has no connection of this kind.

 

[Tlepolemus]

My dictionary says that pupil is (among other meanings) "a person who is taught by another, especially a schoolchild or student in relation to a teacher", so I thought it is close to kid ~ puella/puellus. But I'm not a native English speaker and will respect your opinion.

 

[Glabrigausapes]

My dictionary says that pupil is (among other meanings) "a person who is taught by another, especially a schoolchild or student in relation to a teacher", so I thought it is close to kid.

That's true! For reasons that are beyond my understanding, the Oxford English Dictionary lists pupil for 'student' and pupil for 'opening in iris' as two separate entries, despite having the same derivation. The former may not specifically mean 'girl student', but I suppose in the context of an all-girl school, it can only mean that.
So I'll have to eat my words!