Demeanor
/dɪˈmiːn.ər/noun
A person's outward behavior or bearing.
Did you know?Demeanor comes from Old French and ultimately from Latin de- + minari, a verb tied to driving or threatening forward, so its history is about how you *carry* yourself into the world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“to push, drive, or threaten”
Latin
Latin
minari
“to threaten, to drive or project forward”
Late Latin
Latin
deminare
“to conduct or drive away”
Old French
Old French
demener
“to lead, conduct, manage; later, to behave oneself”
Middle English
English
demeuren
“to conduct oneself, behave”
Modern English
English
demeanor
“outward behavior, conduct, or bearing”