physiognomy
/fɪziˈɒnəmi/ · noun
Meaning
- The art or pseudoscience of deducing the predominant temper and other characteristic qualities of the mind from the outward appearance, especially from the features of the face.
- The face or countenance, with respect to the temper of the mind; particular configuration, cast, or expression of countenance, as denoting character.
- The art of telling fortunes by inspection of the features.
- The general appearance or aspect of a thing, without reference to its scientific characteristics.
Etymology / origin
Inherited from Middle English phisonomie, from Anglo-Norman phisenomie, Middle French phisonomie et al., ultimately from Late Latin physiognomia, from Ancient Greek φυσιογνωμία (phusiognōmía, “physiology”), from φύσις (phúsis, “physique, appearance”) + γνώμη (gnṓmē, “means of knowing”). Middle English phisonomie would regularly develop into *physnomy /ˈfɪznəmi/ (forms of this type are common in Early Modern English, such as fisnomie in All's Well that Ends Well); the modern spelling and pronunciation are due to learned influence.
- φυσιογνωμία(Ancient Greek)→
- physiognomia(la-lat)→
- phisonomie(frm)→
- phisenomie(xno)→
- phisonomie(Middle English)→
- phisonomie(Middle English)→
- physiognomy (English)
- Relations: inh, inh, der, der, der, der
Related words
Descendant words
- fysiognomia(Finnish) (cog)
Sources
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