studium

Studium is a Latin noun meaning zeal, eagerness, application, or pursuit, especially in the sense of study. In classical usage it denotes the effort or devotion directed toward learning, arts, or any task, and it can be found in phrases such as studium litterarum meaning the pursuit of letters or learning. The root is related to studere, to devote oneself to; over time, the term came to denote a field of study or the act of studying in various Romance languages.

In modern German, das Studium refers specifically to university studies or an academic program, as in Ich habe Mathematik studiert. In English-language scholarship the word is most often encountered in reference to Roland Barthes's theory of photography. In Camera Lucida (1980), Barthes distinguishes between studium and punctum: studium describes the broad cultural, linguistic, and normative understanding conveyed by a photograph—the content that is generally legible and socially meaningful—whereas punctum denotes a detail that unexpectedly pierces or emotionally affects the viewer.

Beyond these specialized uses, studium can appear in philosophy, rhetoric, and pedagogy to denote earnest scholarly endeavor or the study of a given discipline. The term remains largely historical or technical outside its specific contexts.

See also: Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida, punctum, German das Studium.