How Do You Spell PERSONIFY?

Pronunciation: [pɜːsˈɒnɪfˌa͡ɪ] (IPA)

Personify is spelled /pɜː.sən.ɪ.faɪ/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The word represents the act of attributing human qualities or characteristics to non-human entities, such as objects, animals or abstract concepts. It comes from the Latin word "persona", meaning "mask" or "character", and "facere", meaning "to make". The spelling of the word is in accordance with English spelling rules, with the "o" sound being represented by the letter "e". The pronunciation of the word is stressed on the second syllable "son", followed by a short "i" sound in the second syllable "ni".

PERSONIFY Meaning and Definition

  1. Personify (verb):

    To personify is to attribute human characteristics, qualities, or actions to something non-human or abstract, as if it were a person. It involves giving human-like traits or characteristics to an object, idea, or concept, in order to make it more relatable or understandable. Personification is a literary device commonly used by writers to add depth and imagery to their descriptions and narratives.

    By assigning human attributes to something non-human, the process of personification creates a figurative representation that enables readers or listeners to form a stronger connection with the subject. Through personification, inanimate objects can be made to act, think, and feel like humans, while abstract concepts such as love, time, or justice can be personified as characters with human personalities.

    Personification plays a significant role in literature, poetry, and storytelling. It is often used to create more vivid and engaging imagery, evoke emotional responses, or convey complex ideas in a more accessible manner. By making the non-human or abstract relatable, personification allows writers to enrich their works with deeper levels of understanding and empathy.

    In broader terms, personify can also refer to assuming or representing a particular role, quality, or characteristic, usually one that aligns with human traits. For instance, an individual can personify kindness, intelligence, or bravery, embodying these qualities in a manner that is recognized and respected by others.

  2. To ascribe to a thing the sentiments, actions, or language of a human being.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for PERSONIFY *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for PERSONIFY

Etymology of PERSONIFY

The word "personify" has its origins in Latin.

It comes from the Latin word "persona", which referred to a theatrical mask or character. In Roman theater, actors would wear masks to represent different characters, and these masks were called "persona". Over time, this term came to be associated with the idea of an individual's social role or character.

The suffix "-fy" in English is derived from the Latin "-ficare", which means "to make" or "to cause". Adding this suffix to "persona" formed the Latin verb "personificare", meaning "to give someone a personality" or "to represent a character".

The Latin term "personificare" was later borrowed into Middle French as "personifier" in the 14th century. It eventually made its way into English, and "personify" entered the English language in the 18th century with a similar meaning.

Similar spelling words for PERSONIFY

Conjugate verb Personify

CONDITIONAL PERFECT

I would have personified
you would have personified
he/she/it would have personified
we would have personified
they would have personified
I would have personify
you would have personify
he/she/it would have personify
we would have personify
they would have personify

CONDITIONAL PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

I would have been personifying
you would have been personifying
he/she/it would have been personifying
we would have been personifying
they would have been personifying

CONDITIONAL PRESENT

I would personify
you would personify
he/she/it would personify
we would personify
they would personify

CONDITIONAL PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

I would be personifying
you would be personifying
he/she/it would be personifying
we would be personifying
they would be personifying

FUTURE

I will personify
you will personify
he/she/it will personify
we will personify
they will personify

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

I will be personifying
you will be personifying
he/she/it will be personifying
we will be personifying
they will be personifying

FUTURE PERFECT

I will have personified
you will have personified
he/she/it will have personified
we will have personified
they will have personified

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I will have been personifying
you will have been personifying
he/she/it will have been personifying
we will have been personifying
they will have been personifying

IMPERATIVE

you personify
we let´s personify

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

to personify

PAST CONTINUOUS

I was personifying
you were personifying
he/she/it was personifying
we were personifying
they were personifying

PAST PARTICIPLE

personified

PAST PERFECT

I had personified
you had personified
he/she/it had personified
we had personified
they had personified

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I had been personifying
you had been personifying
he/she/it had been personifying
we had been personifying
they had been personifying

PRESENT

I personify
you personify
he/she/it personifies
we personify
they personify

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

I am personifying
you are personifying
he/she/it is personifying
we are personifying
they are personifying

PRESENT PARTICIPLE

personifying

PRESENT PERFECT

I have personified
you have personified
he/she/it has personified
we have personified
they have personified

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I have been personifying
you have been personifying
he/she/it has been personifying
we have been personifying
they have been personifying

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

he/she/it personify

SIMPLE PAST

I personified
you personified
he/she/it personified
we personified
they personified

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