Personal
/ˈpɜːr.sən.əl/noun
Relating to a particular person rather than to others or to an official role.
Did you know?Personal comes through Latin persona, the theatrical mask or role, and many scholars connect persona to the idea of a mask that makes a voice sound through it, which is why this word still carries the sense of a performed identity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to bring forth, produce, or carry through”
Etruscan
Etr
phersu
“a masked figure or performer, likely connected to ritual or theatrical imagery”
Latin
Lat
persona
“a mask, theatrical character, or legal/social role”
Old French
OF
personel
“belonging to a person; individual rather than collective”
Middle English
ME
personel
“relating to a person or private individual”
Modern English
Eng
personal
“relating to an individual person; private or individual”