Demeanour
/dɪˈmiːnə/noun
A person's outward behavior or bearing.
Did you know?Demeanor comes from the same root as manner and manage, from Latin manus, “hand,” so the word’s oldest idea is about how you “handle” yourself in the world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*man-
“hand”
Latin
Latin
manus
“hand”
Vulgar Latin
VL
manere / manūāre
“to stay, remain”
Old French
Old French
demeanour / demener
“to conduct, lead, or behave”
Middle English
English
demeanour
“conduct, behavior, bearing”
Modern English
English
demeanor / demeanour
“outward behavior or bearing”
Explore more surprising origins