person

The story

1. Latinpersōna
2. Anglo-Normanpersoune
3. Middle Englishpersoun
4. English todayperson

From Middle English persoun, personne et al., from Anglo-Norman parsone, persoun et al. (Old French persone (“human being”), French personne), and its source Latin persōna (“mask used by actor; role, part, character”), perhaps a loanword from Etruscan 𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 (φersu, “mask”). In this sense, displaced native man, which came to mean primarily "adult male" in Middle English; see Old English mann. Displaced native Old English hād (“person, individual”). Doublet of parson and persona.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 13th c. An individual who has been granted personhood; usually a human being.
• from 13th c. A character or part, as in a play; a specific kind or manifestation of individual character, whether in real life, or in literary or dramatic representation; an assumed character.
• from 13th c. Any one of the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit.
• from 13th c. Any sapient or socially intelligent being.
• from 13th c. Someone who likes or has an affinity for (a specified thing).
• from 13th c. A human of unspecified gender (in terms usually constructed with man or woman).
• from 13th c. A worker in a specified function or specialty.
• from 14th c. The physical body of a being seen as distinct from the mind, character, etc.