Temperament
/ˈtɛm.pər.ə.mənt/noun
A person’s characteristic emotional nature or disposition.
Did you know?In ancient and medieval medicine, your temperament was thought to result from the balance of four humors—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tem-
“To cut or divide; a reconstructed root associated with ideas of separation and proportion.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
temperare
“To mix in due proportion, regulate, or moderate.”
Classical Latin
Latin
temperamentum
“A proper mixture, proportion, moderation, or balance.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
temperamentum
“The bodily combination or balance believed to shape health and disposition.”
15th Century
English
temperament
“A bodily constitution or combination of qualities.”
Modern English
English
temperament
“A person’s characteristic emotional nature or disposition.”