An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Antlitz

by Friedrich Kluge

Antlitz, neuter, from the equivalent Middle High German antlitze, neuter, late Old High German antlizzi, neuter, ‘countenance’; allied to the equivalent collateral forms Middle High German antlütte, Old High German antlutti (analûti), neuter, ‘countenance.’ Two originally different words have been combined in these forms. It is probable that Old High German and Middle High German antliȥ corresponds to Anglo-Saxon and-wlita, masculine, Old Icelandic andlit, neuter (compare Gothic anda-wleizn, neuter); compare Gothic wlits, masculine ‘face,’ wlaitôn, Old Icelandic líta (for *vlíta), ‘to spy’; the root wlī̆t (pre-Teutonic wlī̆d), preserved in these words, has not yet been authenticated beyond the Teutonic group. With these cognates were combined those from Gothic ludja, ‘face,’ parallel to which an equivalent *anda-lū̆di, for Old High German antlū̆tti, neuter ‘countenance,’ must be assumed.