Where does “boldface” come from?

Boldface comes from English bold and English face, ultimately from Latin facia meaning "band" or "surface," which derives from Proto-Indo-European bʰew-.

boldface (English): A font that is dark, having a high ratio of ink...

Definitions

  1. A font that is dark, having a high ratio of ink...

Ancestry of “boldface”, step by step

boldface traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English bold

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishboldA dwelling; habitation; building; Courageous,...
2Middle Englishbold—
3Old EnglishbaldAlternative form of beald
4Proto-West Germanicbalþbold, brave
5Proto-Germanicbalþazstrong, bold
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

via English face

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfaceThe front part of the head of a human or other...
2Middle Englishfaceface; Alternative form of fass
3Old Frenchfaceface
4Late Latinfacia—

Words derived from “boldface”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →