physiognomy

‘visage, expression of features’

Lexical development traced from the Tamil root:

    E. phisiognomye, visionogmi, physiognomie, phisiognomy < O.F. fisonomie, phizonomie < Med.Lat. physonomia < La.Lat. physiognomia < Gk. physiognōmia ‘the judging of a person’s nature by his features’ < physio- + gnōmōn ‘a judge, interpreter, indicator’ < nuh < gno- < Tamil kaṇ