Etymology
1. c.1290, from O.Fr.
face, from V.L.
*facia, from L.
facies "appearance, form, figure," and secondarily "visage, countenance;" probably related to
facere "to make" (see factitious). Replaced O.E.
andwlita. To
face (v.) "confront" is first recorded 1465. To
lose face (or
save face), 1876, is said to be from Chinese
tu lien; to
face the music is theatrical.
Face-lift (n.) first recorded 1934, from
face-lifting (1922).
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-
4. Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-
5. Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
6. Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁kyéti
7. Proto-Italic *θakjō
8. Proto-Italic *fakjō
9. Latin faciō
10. Proto-Italic *-jēs
11. Latin -iēs
12. Latin faciēs
13. Late Latin facia
14. Old French facebor.
15. Middle English face
16. English face
17. From Middle English face, from Old French face, from Late Latin facia, from Latin faciēs (“form, appearance”). Doublet of facies. Displaced native onlete (“face, countenance, appearance”), anleth (“face”), from Old English anwlite, andwlita, compare German Antlitz; Old English ansīen (“face”), Middle English neb (“face, nose”) (from Old English nebb), Middle English ler, leor, leer (“face, cheek, countenance”) (from Old English hlēor), and non-native Middle English vis (“face, appearance, look”) (from Old French vis) and Middle English chere (“face”) from Old French chere.
18. In the sense of face as in reputation, influenced by Chinese 面子 (miànzi) or 臉／脸 (liǎn), both of which mean literally the front of the head and metaphorically one's public image. See lose face.
Verbs referencing "face"
German, Pennsylvania
feese, Irish
fásáil, Swedish
fejsa.