phisonomie

Middle English

Alternative forms

• phisonomy, phisinomie, fisenamie, fisenamy, phisnomie, phisnomy, fisnomie, fisnomy, fisnamie, fisnamy, vesnamy

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman phisonomie, Old French fisonomie, Medieval Latin physonomia, via Late Latin physiognōmia from Koine Greek φυσιογνωμία (phusiognōmía), variant of Ancient Greek φυσιογνωμονία (phusiognōmonía, “the science or art of judging a man by his features”), from φύσις (phúsis, “form, appearance; character, nature”) +‎ γνώμων (gnṓmōn, “interpreter, discerner”).

Noun

phisonomie (plural phisonomies)

1. physiognomy; the study of a person's physical attributes, particularly facial features, to discern a person's nature or character
2. the human face; facial expression, countenance

Descendants

• English: physiognomy, physiognomonics, physiognomist, physiognomize

Further reading

• “phisonomīe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• phisonomie on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub