Etymograph

English

face

Face comes from Latin faciēs ‘form, appearance’, from faciō ‘to do’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-1reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyéti1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjō1reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō1‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō1‘to do’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciēs1‘form’
  7. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfacia1
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400face1
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500face1
  10. Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592face1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English face
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew: “Face not mee: thou haſt brau'd manie men, braue…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-Wiktionary, English facereconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétiWiktionary, English facereconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōWiktionary, English facereconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjōWiktionary, English face‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōWiktionary, English face‘to do’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciēsWiktionary, English face‘form’
  7. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfaciaWiktionary, English face
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400faceWiktionary, English face
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500faceWiktionary, English face
  10. Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592faceWiktionary, English face. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew: “Face not mee: thou haſt brau'd manie men, braue…”

The story

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.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *θakjō

effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, imperfection, putrefaction, 65 more

through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’

effective, difficulty, factor, perfection, affection, manufacture, imperfect, faction, affective, defection, defector, effector, affectation, confectionary, 71 more

through Latin faciō ‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’

perfect, difficult, effect, feature, profit, fact, affect, efficient, infection, facility, deficit, affair, feat, sacrifice, faculty, defect, facilitate, fetish, efficacy, counterfeit, infect, deficient, aficionado, maleficent, hacienda, facsimile, beautify, confection, difficile, efficacious, refectory, confit, parfait, beneficent, 85 more

through Latin faciēs ‘form, appearance’

superficial, facial, facies, 6 more

through Late Latin facia

facade, 2 more

Today it means

noun The front part of the head of a human or other animal, featuring the eyes, nose, and mouth, and the surrounding area.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “face”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / face

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