Where does “whey-faced” come from?
whey-faced (English) comes from English faced, from English face, from Middle English face, from Old French face, from Late Latin facia.
whey-faced (English): Having a pale face, as from fear
Definitions
- Having a pale face, as from fear
Ancestry of “whey-faced”, step by step
whey-faced traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English faced
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | faced | simple past tense and past participle of face;... |
| 2 | English | face | The front part of the head of a human or other... |
| 3 | Middle English | face | face; Alternative form of fass |
| 4 | Old French | face | face |
| 5 | Late Latin | facia | — |
via English whey
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | whey | The liquid remaining after milk has been curdled... |
| 2 | Middle English | whey | The leftovers from milk curdled during... |
| 3 | Old English | hwǣġ | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *hwaij | whey |