Personnel
/ˌpɜːr.səˈnel/noun
The people employed in an organization or engaged in a service, especially the staff of a company or military unit.
Did you know?Personnel ultimately comes from Latin *persona*, originally a “mask” or “character,” so the modern word for staff traces back to the idea of roles worn by human beings.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
persona
“mask, character in a play, role”
Late Latin
Latin
personalis
“of a person, personal”
French
Old French
personnel
“personal, pertaining to a person”
18th–19th Century
French/English
personnel
“collective body of persons, especially staff”
Modern English
English
personnel
“employees or staff of an organization”