Where does “yellowfacing” come from?

yellowfacing (English) comes from English yellowface, from English yellow, from Middle English yelow, from Old English ġeolu, from Proto-West Germanic gelu, from Proto-Germanic gelwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- — to flourish; green, yellow.

yellowfacing (English): performance in yellowface makeup

Definitions

  1. performance in yellowface makeup

Ancestry of “yellowfacing”, step by step

yellowfacing traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English yellowface

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishyellowfaceA style of theatrical makeup in which a white...
2EnglishyellowHaving yellow as its color; Lacking courage;...
3Middle Englishyelowyellow, yellowish, gold; yellow-coloured;...
4Old Englishġeoluyellow
5Proto-West Germanicgeluyellow
6Proto-Germanicgelwazyellow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃wósyellow, green
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow

via English ing

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishingA meadow, especially a low meadow near a river;...
2Middle Englishing
3Old Englishingmeadow, water meadow, ing
4Old Norseengmeadow
5Proto-GermanicangijōA low lying meadow in a valley or near a river
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énkoscurve, bend
7Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃-Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃wósEvery word from Proto-Germanic gelwaz
yellowfacing — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer