Where does “sportsperson” come from?
sportsperson (English) comes from English sports, from English sport, from Middle English sport, from Middle English disport, from Old French desport, from Old French deport, from Latin deportō, from Latin dē- — afterwards, post; by, at.
sportsperson (English): Someone who plays sport, regardless of gender
Definitions
- Someone who plays sport, regardless of gender
Ancestry of “sportsperson”, step by step
sportsperson traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sports
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sports | plural of sport; Third-person singular simple... |
| 2 | English | sport | Any activity that uses physical exertion or... |
| 3 | Middle English | sport | — |
| 4 | Middle English | disport | — |
| 5 | Old French | desport | Alternative form of deport |
| 6 | Old French | deport | enjoyment; fun |
| 7 | Latin | deportō | to bring or convey |
| 8 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 9 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 10 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 11 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 12 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |
via English Person
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Person | An individual who has been granted personhood; usually a human being |
| 2 | Middle English | persoun | person |
| 3 | Old French | persone | person; individual; rector of a parish; someone;... |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | persona | parson, person; mask; character |
| 5 | Latin | persōna | mask |
| 6 | Etruscan | 𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 | a mask; a masked individual, often performing in... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | πρόσωπον | face, visage, countenance; front; mask |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ὤψ | to the eye; in the face; eye |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | ókʷs | eye |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ókʷs | eye |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ekʷ- | to see; eye |