An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Antlitz

by Friedrich Kluge

Antlitz, n., from the equiv. MidHG. antlitze, n., late OHG. antlizzi, n., ‘countenance’; allied to the equiv. collateral forms MidHG. antlütte, OHG. antlutti (analûti), n., ‘countenance.’ Two originally different words have been combined in these forms. It is probable that OHG. and MidHG. antliȥ corresponds to AS. and-wlita, m., OIc. andlit, n. (comp. Goth. anda-wleizn, n.); comp. Goth. wlits, m. ‘face,’ wlaitôn, OIc. líta (for *vlíta), ‘to spy’; the root wlī̆t (pre-Teut. wlī̆d), preserved in these words, has not yet been authenticated beyond the Teut. group. With these cognates were combined those from Goth. ludja, ‘face,’ parallel to which an equiv. *anda-lū̆di, for OHG. antlū̆tti, n. ‘countenance,’ must be assumed.