Apple of My Eye – Meaning, Origin & Usage
The phrase ‘apple of my eye’ is an idiom, which means that you can’t deduce the meaning of the phrase through the individual words, and you have to view the phrase as a whole.
In this article, we’re going to unpack the meaning of the phrase, how it originated, and its typical usage today, before topping off with a brief section on its use in literature and pop culture.
So, without further ado, let’s get straight to it.
What does ‘apple of my eye’ mean?
The phrase and idiom ‘apple of my eye’ is used to express affection for someone or something. It can be used to describe an object or a person as being very important to someone, or to describe something or someone that the speaker is extremely fond of.
The phrase is occasionally used to refer to something or someone that is cherished above all else, like the pupil of an eye, which is central for vision.
Origins of the phrase ‘apple of me eye’
The phrase ‘apple of my eye’ is particularly old, dating back as far as as the year 885 AD, when it appeared in an Old English work attributed to King Alfred (the Great) of Essex.
The phrase also appears several times in the Christian bible, where it was used as a metaphor for something precious and highly valued. This includes the following lines:
Psalm 17:8: “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings”
Proverbs 7:2: “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye”
There has been some debate about whether the phrase originates from English or Biblical Hebrew. In the Hebrew version of the idiom, the saying refers to the pupil of the eye, and it is thought that the meaning of the word changed from ‘little man/doll’ to mean the ‘apple’ of the eye, possibly due to the round shape of the pupil.
Some scholars believe that the Anglo-Saxons used the word “apple” for “pupil” because they thought the eye was a solid ball that could fall out.
How to use the phrase in everyday conversation
The most typical use of the phrase ‘apple of my eye’ is when parents use the phrase to refer to their love for their children. This fits with both the original meaning of the phrase, that the person is a centre of focus for the speaker, and with the more current meaning of the person being very important and cherished perhaps above all else.
Usage of the phrase in literature and pop culture
In Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, published in 1600, the fairy Oberon uses the phrase “apple of his eye” when he drops juice from a flower into a young man’s eyes.
More recently, there have been both books and songs released with the title ‘Apple of my Eye’.
Final word
So, in summary, the phrase ‘apple of my eye’ means that who or what is being spoken of, is of utmost importance, and is thought of with great fondness.
