Etymology Map
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Actor

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a person who performs in plays or films

Where does the word "actor" come from? It comes from Latin agere, passing through Latin before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
agere
Latin · ancient
"to do, drive"
the root of 'act' and 'agent'
2
Stage 2 of 3
actor
Latin · ancient
"doer, advocate"
a Roman legal representative or performer
3
Stage 3 of 3
actor
English · 1300s
"doer; agent"
first recorded before 1325 in English statute law, still in its Latin legal sense of an agent; the stage-performer sense dates from the 1580s
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Actor’s story begins in Latin: agere meant “to do, drive.” The root of 'act' and 'agent'. Within Latin, it grew into actor by ancient. A Roman legal representative or performer. It reached English by 1300s as actor. First recorded before 1325 in English statute law, still in its Latin legal sense of an agent; the stage-performer sense dates from the 1580s. Today, actor means a person who performs in plays or films.