Where does “face-to-face” come from?

face-to-face (English) comes from English to, from Middle English to, from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.

face-to-face (English): A meeting, especially a meeting between two...

Definitions

  1. A meeting, especially a meeting between two...

Ancestry of “face-to-face”, step by step

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

via English to

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtoA particle used for marking the following verb as...
2Middle Englishtotoe; to; too
3Middle Englishtonethe one
4LatintonusThe stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;...
5Ancient Greekτόνοςrope, cord; chord; tone, note
6Proto-Hellenictónosrope, cord; tension
7Proto-Indo-Europeantónossomething stretched; chord, fiber, string
8Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten-Every word from Proto-Indo-European tónosEvery word from Proto-Hellenic tónos