DictionaryRoot: persona
Latin
persona
person; later a holder of a church office
Forms
- persona
- person- — The form used before other endings.
Origin
From Latin persona, “role or person”; its earlier derivation, often linked to Etruscan, is uncertain.
Note
Medieval church usage specialized the ordinary person-word to the individual holding an office.
1 / 1
noun
parson
PAR-sun/ˈpɑːrsn/
A Protestant minister, especially one serving a parish.
Etymology
Persona acquired the sense “parish priest,” perhaps for the person legally holding church property or as “person of the church.” The reason is uncertain; the title later extended to clergy more generally.