/ ˈpɜːsənɪdʒ; NAmE ˈpɜːrs-/ noun
( formal ) an important or famous person :
a royal personage
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French , reinforced by medieval Latin personagium effigy. In early use the word was qualified by words such as honourable , eminent , but since the 19th cent. the notion “significant, notable” has been implied in the word itself.