Where does “faceoff” come from?

faceoff (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.

faceoff (English): The method used to begin play in ice hockey

Definitions

  1. The method used to begin play in ice hockey

Ancestry of “faceoff”, step by step

faceoff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English off

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoffIn a direction away from the speaker or object;...
2Middle Englishofof; off; until
3Old Englishofof, from, off, out of
4Old Englishæfof
5Proto-Germanic*ab—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanapó—

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 apó →