impersonate etymology

Etymology

The word "impersonate" traces its origins to the late 14th century. It derives from the Middle French "empersonner," which means "to put on the person of another." The Middle French term, in turn, emerged from the Latin "in" (in, on) and "persona" (person, mask).

Meaning

Impersonate means to assume the character or identity of another person, often with the intent to deceive or mislead. It implies a deliberate act of pretending or acting like someone else. The impersonation can be partial, involving only specific traits or mannerisms, or it can be complete, where the person assumes all aspects of the other's identity.

Origin

The term "impersonate" has its roots in theater and dramatic performances. In the early days of theater, actors often donned masks to represent different characters. These masks were known as "personae," and the act of wearing them was referred to as "impersonating" the character.

Over time, the use of the word "impersonate" expanded beyond theater to include any situation where someone pretended to be someone else. It is now commonly used to describe:

  • Forgery of documents
  • Identity theft
  • Fraudulent activities
  • False representation in legal proceedings
  • Pretending to be an authority figure

impersonate relate terms

  • person

    Etymology Latin persona meaning mask or character in a play Meaning An indiv

  • impersonation

    Etymology Latin impersonare disguise as someone else Latin in in persona

  • impersonate

    Etymology The word impersonate traces its origins to the late 14th century It derives

  • pose

    Etymology The word pose has two etymological roots Old French poser to place arra

  • portray

    Etymology Late Latin portrahere from Latin prō forward trahere to draw

  • represent

    Etymology The word etymology comes from the Greek words etymon meaning true sense

  • masquerade

    Etymology The word masquerade derives from the Spanish term mascarada which emerged

  • betray

    Etymology The word betray comes from the Old French word betreier which in turn come

  • peso

    Etymology Spanish peso Latin pensum payment Meaning and Origin The term peso o

  • mock

    Etymology The word mock originates from the Middle English term mokken which means