visage
Meaning
A person's face, or the expression on their face.
Structure
Usage
His visage was stern and unyielding.
The sculpture captured the noble visage of the ancient king.
A look of surprise transformed her visage.
Etymology
The word 'visage' entered English in the 13th century from Anglo-French and Old French, where it meant 'face' or 'appearance'. Its ultimate source is the Latin verb vidēre, meaning 'to see', via the noun visus (sight, appearance). The literal logic is that a 'visage' is that which is seen, the visible aspect or appearance presented to an observer. The suffix '-age' forms a noun denoting a state or condition, thus solidifying the meaning as 'the condition or form of what is seen'.
Analysis
'vis' is from Latin visus (sight, appearance). 'age' is a noun-forming suffix from Latin -aticum, indicating a state, condition, or result.