impersonation etymology

Etymology:

  • Latin: impersonare ("disguise as someone else")
  • Latin: in ("in") + persona ("mask, character")

Meaning:

  • To pretend to be someone else, either by imitating their appearance, voice, or actions.
  • To attribute the qualities or actions of one person to another, often without their knowledge or consent.

Origin:

The Latin term impersona originally referred to the masks worn by actors in Roman theater. These masks represented different characters, allowing actors to impersonate various roles.

Over time, the term expanded to include any act of pretending to be someone else. In the early 20th century, psychology adopted the term "impersonation" to describe the unconscious adoption of traits or behaviors from another person.

Examples:

  • A child who pretends to be a superhero by wearing a cape and mask.
  • A politician who imitates the mannerisms of a popular leader to gain votes.
  • A professional impersonator who performs the voice and appearance of a celebrity.
  • An instance where one character's thoughts or feelings are presented as belonging to another character without explicit acknowledgment.

Synonyms:

  • Pretend
  • Impersonate
  • Mimic
  • Masquerade
  • Disguise

impersonation relate terms

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  • person

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  • caricature

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  • deception

    Etymology Old French decepcion 13th century Latin deceptio act of deceiving decept

  • charade

    Etymology From French charade from Late Latin carratum meaning a cartload of wood

  • parody

    Etymology Parodia Latin imitation or parody From parodē Greek parody satire

  • lampoon

    Etymology The word lampoon derives from the French word lampon which means a satiric

  • takeoff

    Etymology of Takeoff Takeoff is a compound word derived from two Old English words

  • pasquinade

    Etymology The word pasquinade is derived from the Italian name Pasquino referring t

  • humor

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