Where does “face-off” come from?

face-off (English) comes from English off, from Middle English of, from Old English of, from Old English æf, from Proto-Germanic *ab, from Proto-Indo-European apó.

face-off (English): A confrontation or argument between two people or...

Definitions

A confrontation or argument between two people or...

Ancestry of “face-off”, step by step

face-off traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English off

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	English	off	In a direction away from the speaker or object;...
2	Middle English	of	of; off; until
3	Old English	of	of, from, off, out of
4	Old English	æf	of
5	Proto-Germanic	*ab	—
6	Proto-Indo-European	apó	—

via English face

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	English	face	The front part of the head of a human or other...
2	Middle English	face	face; Alternative form of fass
3	Old French	face	face
4	Late Latin	facia	—

Every word from Proto-Indo-European apó →