Personality
/ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti/noun
The set of characteristics, behaviors, and qualities that make a person distinct.
Did you know?Personality descends from Latin persona, the theatrical mask or role of an actor, so its deepest origin is about the face you wear before the world, not an inner essence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to strike, pierce; possibly also to produce a sound”
Etruscan
Etr
phersu
“a masked figure, likely in ritual or theatrical performance”
Latin
Lat
persona
“a mask; a character in a play; a legal person”
Old French
OF
personnalité
“personhood; status of being a person”
Late Middle English
English
personalite
“the quality or state of being a person”
Modern English
English
personality
“the combination of traits and patterns that form an individual's distinctive character”