Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “facepaint” come from?

facepaint (English) comes from English paint, from Middle English peynten, from Old French peint, from Latin pingō, from Proto-Indo-European peyḱ- — to hew, cut out; to stitch, embroider, sting; to...

facepaint (English): Paint used to decorate people's faces

Definitions

  1. Paint used to decorate people's faces

Ancestry of “facepaint”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpaintA substance that is applied as a liquid or paste,...
2Middle Englishpeynten—
3Old Frenchpeint—
4Latinpingō—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpeyḱ-to hew, cut out; to stitch, embroider, sting; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peyḱ- →