English
person
Person comes from Middle English persoun, from Anglo-Norman parsone, from Latin persōna ‘mask; character, role’, whose origin is unknown.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersōna‘mask; character, role’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400parsone
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500persoun
- Englishearliest quotation 1622person
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersōna‘mask; character, role’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400parsone
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500persoun
- Englishearliest quotation 1622person
Earliest quotation: 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam: “[…]his firſt appearance vpon the Stage, in his new…”
The story
In this sense, displaced native man, which came to mean primarily "adult male" in Middle English; see Old English mann.
Linked words
through Middle English persoun
Today it means
noun An individual who has been granted personhood; usually a human being.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin persōna / person