El antifaz

[laepelba]

Bueno - esto es para ustedes que disfrutan la etimología...

¿Sabes la historía de la palabra "el antifaz"? Ésta suena como "face" en inglés, y "anti-face" (en el inglés) significaría algo como un "mask".... ¿Es una casualidad?

[aleCcowaN]

antifaz = ante + faz

ante ---> before (a person)
ante ---> in the face, faced with

faz ---> face

face and faz both came from Latin facĭes

[Perikles]

The Latin ante can mean in front of, as in antecedent, as in this case of antifaz. I find this confusing, because L. ante derives from an earlier anti- meaning opposite or against, as in antidote. This latter meaning has perhaps a more common application.

[laepelba]

Only slightly confusing ... but it makes sense to me. Because something that can be "contra-" can be "in your face" or facing you. Anyway - I didn't realize that "faz" had to do with "face" in Spanish, too. Now that I take the time to look at synonyms, I see "rostro" and "cara" and "faz" and others. Thanks, gentlemen.