What is the root word of personal?

The root word of "personal" is persona, which is a Latin word meaning "mask" or "character".

Here's how it works:

* Persona: originally referred to the masks worn by actors in ancient Roman theater to represent different characters.

* Personal: evolved to mean something that is specific to an individual, their character, or their identity.

So, "personal" essentially means something that relates to the "mask" or the character that an individual presents to the world.