What Is a Second Year University Student Called?

Etymologists state that the term "sophomore" is likely derived from the Greek word "sophos" for wise and "moros" for foolish, as a reference to the dialectic or discursive exercises that come to the fore during the middle years of university.

At Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom, the term "sophister" was once applied to students in their second or third years. This word is derived from "sophist," which was a type of teacher in Ancient Greece.