Person Comes From a Theatrical Mask
A person is an individual human. The Latin word named the mask an actor wore, and the role it represented.
A person is an individual human being. The Latin *persona* was a theatrical mask, and then the character an actor played. From role it moved to individual, and law made it technical: a *legal person* can be a company as well as a human. The idea that identity is a role one performs is built into the word.
- An individual human. *A young person.*
- A legal entity. *A legal person.*
- Grammatical person. *The first person.*
- In person — physically present. *Attend in person.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | person | One person. |
| Plural | people | Many people. |
| Plural | persons | In legal use. |
| Adjective | personal | A personal matter. |
| Related | persona | A public persona. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Persona meant a theatrical mask.Latin.
- A company is a legal person.With rights and obligations.
- People is the usual plural.Persons appears mainly in legal writing.
Grammatical person
- First person — I and we
- Second person — you
- Third person — he, she, it and they
- Narrative voice — first person and third person storytelling
- Verb agreement — English marks person only in the third person singular
From Latin *persona*, a theatrical mask or character, possibly from Etruscan, and later a human individual.
People or persons?
People is the normal plural. Persons survives in legal and official writing, as in *missing persons*.
What is a legal person?
An entity with rights and duties in law. It includes human beings and also companies, which are legal but not natural persons.