personnel English · revision 4504

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1834|origins=la personalis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˌpɜː.sənˈel/, US /ˌpɝː.sənˈel/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|personnel]], originally a military term contrasted with matériel “equipment”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998) a noun use of the adjective personnel “personal”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from Old French personel, the source of [[personal]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) Merriam-Webster takes the French noun as a modification, influenced by the adjective, of German Personal, from Late Latin persōnāle, neuter of persōnālis “personal”.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The body of persons engaged in a service or employment: 1834 in the OED,^(OED 1989) 1837 in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) 1857 in Barnhart,^(Barnhart 1988) the early 19th century in NODE.^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Personal appearance is a rare sense from 1861.^(OED 1989) The members of an orchestra or band are its personnel from 1956,^(OED 1989) and the department of an organization that deals with employees, as ''Personnel'', is from 1960.^(OED 1989) Attributive uses such as ''personnel management'' and ''personnel carrier'' are later.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1834 – the staff of a service.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1861 – personal appearance (rare).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1956 – the members of a band.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1960 – a personnel department.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The people employed in an organization, business or the [[armed forces]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The department of an organization that deals with its employees; [[human resources]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Persons: ''military personnel''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[antipersonnel]]

+ * [[armored personnel carrier]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[personal]]

+ * [[person]]

+ * [[materiel]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Personnel, with a stress on the last syllable, is distinct from personal, an adjective stressed on the first.^(Roach et al. 2011)^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}