“学生”，再普通不够的词，有什么秘密可言？

     “学生”本来就是“生人”，是菜鸟，什么都需要学习。最普通的“学生”含义就是“正在学习的生人（菜鸟）”，是student。（Student：1398, from O.Fr. estudient "one who is studying," from M.L. studiare "to study," from L. studium (see study). Student-teacher is attested from 1907. ）

      中文“学生”二字很牛，意思不只这么多，因为“生”字很厉害。

     “学生”是“学习生存”和“学习生活”，这是“学生”作为“pupil”的本意。pupil本意指孤儿、未成年人，其还不会自己生存、自己生活，需要别人照顾，因此必然有学习生存和学习生活之需要。（Pupil："student," 1382, originally "orphan child, ward," from O.Fr. pupille (14c.), from L. pupillus (fem. pupilla) "orphan, ward, minor," dim. of pupus "boy" (fem. pupa "girl"), probably related to puer "child," probably from PIE *pup-, from base *pu- "to swell, inflate." Meaning "disciple, student" first recorded 1563. ）

　　“学生”还要“学会生气”。并不是人人都会生气，根据亚里士多德的“生气”论，会生气是指：在适当的时间，针对适当的事，对适当的人，发适当程度的脾气。这是很难做得到的，很多人不会生气，学生经常更不会生气。学生经常会怒气冲冲，发愤报复，比如“塔利班”这类“学生”。（Taliban Sunni fundamentalist movement in Afghanistan, Pashto pl. of Arabic tālib "student;" so called because it originated among students in Pakistani religious schools. Group formed c.1993. Often incorrectly treated as singular in English. ）

　　*以上括号内注释均出自：http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=student&searchmode=none