Where does “favorite person” come from?

favorite person (English) comes from English favorite, from Middle French favorit, from Old French favorit, from Italian favorito, from Italian favorire, from Italian favore, from Latin favor, from Latin -or — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

favorite person (English): A person on whom someone with borderline personality disorder is intensely emotionally dependent

Definitions

  1. A person on whom someone with borderline personality disorder is intensely emotionally dependent

Ancestry of “favorite person”, step by step

favorite person traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English favorite

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfavoriteAlternative form of favourite
2Middle Frenchfavoritfavored one
3Old Frenchfavorit
4Italianfavoritofavourite; mollycoddle; teacher's pet
5Italianfavorireto favour, to favor, to help, to aid, to support;...
6Italianfavorefavour
7Latinfavorgood will, inclination, partiality, favor;...
8Latin-orused to form a third-declension masculine...
9Proto-Italic-ōsCreates masculine action nouns or result nouns...
10Proto-Indo-European-ōsCreates masculine and feminine action nouns or...
11Proto-Indo-European-oss
12Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

via English Person

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPersonAn individual who has been granted personhood; usually a human being
2Middle Englishpersounperson
3Old Frenchpersoneperson; individual; rector of a parish; someone;...
4Medieval Latinpersonaparson, person; mask; character
5Latinpersōnamask
6Etruscan𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖a mask; a masked individual, often performing in...
7Ancient Greekπρόσωπονface, visage, countenance; front; mask
8Ancient Greekὤψto the eye; in the face; eye
9Proto-Hellenicókʷseye
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ókʷseye
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ekʷ-to see; eye
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -osEvery word from Latin -orEvery word from Latin favor
favorite person — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer