facialis

Forms

faciālis (neuter faciāle); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin faciēs (“face”) + -ālis.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as a neuter noun, faciāle, a cloth for the face: the Latin–Greek glossaries give it for προσόψιον (prosópsion), a face towel, and a school dialogue lists the strigil, the towel, the foot cloth and the oil flask.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

The noun meant a towel or handkerchief,^[6][2] and a cloth to cover the face, which the DMLBS compares with the sūdārium of John 20:7;^[5] an account of Anastasius the Apocrisiarius glosses ōrārium as faciāle, and a martyrology tells of people who veiled their faces with such cloths so as not to be recognised.^[4]

As an adjective, in theology it meant “face to face”: Ockham writes of the face-to-face vision of the divine essence,^[5] and the Annals of Saint Victor record under 1334 that Pope Benedict XII issued a decretal to settle the long dispute among theologians over the saints' face-to-face vision of God.^[4][5] Roger Bacon uses it for a direct, diametrical opposition.^[5] Polish records use it of wounds and of burning on the face, and in law of a terminus faciālis, a court day set by a spoken summons.^[3] In Neo-Latin it could also mean “superficial”.^[7] English facial meant “face to face” about 1600, from French facial, from the Medieval Latin word;^[8] Middle English had a noun faciale, a face-cloth for a corpse, in the early 14th century.^[8]

Timeline

• Late Latin – The glossaries give the noun faciāle for a face towel.^[4][5]
• 1267 – Köbler's first date for the adjective, from Latham.^[2]
• 1334 – Benedict XII settles the question of the face-to-face vision of God.^[4]
• 1445 – A Polish record speaks of wounds to the face.^[3]
• c. 1600 – English facial “face to face” is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Medieval Latin) Of the face; on the face.^[2][3][9]
2. (Medieval Latin, theology) Face to face: vīsiō faciālis, the face-to-face vision of God.^[5][4][10]
3. (Medieval Latin) Direct, diametrical.^[5]
4. (Medieval Latin, law) terminus faciālis: a court day set by a spoken summons.^[3]
5. (New Latin) Superficial.^[7]

Noun

1. (Late Latin, Medieval Latin) faciāle: a towel, handkerchief; a cloth to cover the face.^[6][4][5]
2. (Medieval Latin, law) faciāle: clear evidence of a theft, an object shown as proof.^[3]

Related words

• English facial

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d e f Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
4. ^ a b c d e f g du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
10. ^ Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE