Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “persoun” come from?

persoun (Middle English) comes from Old French persone, from Medieval Latin persona, from Latin persōna, from Etruscan 𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖, from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον, from Ancient Greek ὤψ, from Proto-Hellenic ókʷs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ókʷs — to see; eye.

persoun (Middle English): person

Definitions

  1. person

Ancestry of “persoun”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchpersoneperson; individual; rector of a parish; someone;...
2Medieval Latinpersonaparson, person; mask; character
3Latinpersōna—
4Etruscan𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖a mask; a masked individual, often performing in...
5Ancient Greekπρόσωπονface, visage, countenance; front; mask
6Ancient Greekὤψto the eye; in the face; eye
7Proto-Hellenicókʷs—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ókʷseye
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ekʷ-to see; eye

Words derived from “persoun”

  • person
  • parson
  • salesperson
  • townspeople
  • parsonage
  • personhood
  • chairperson
  • layperson
  • impersonate
  • businessperson
  • impersonator
  • foreperson
  • craftsperson
  • congressperson
  • nonperson
  • sportsperson
  • countrypeople
  • clergyperson
  • multiperson
  • anchorperson
  • cameraperson
  • repairperson
  • personology
  • tradesperson
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ekʷ- →