Apple of my eye

Origin

The phrase 'apple of my eye' traces its roots to ancient Hebrew texts and Old English, where the 'apple' literally referred to the pupil of the eye. In a time before detailed anatomical understanding, the pupil was considered the most vital and central part of the eye, essential for sight, and extremely delicate. To protect the 'apple' was to protect one's very vision. This profound sense of a precious, indispensable, and vulnerable core quickly translated into a metaphor for someone or something held in the highest regard, cherished above all else, and utterly indispensable to one's happiness and existence.