One entry found for shamefaced
Main Entry: shameˇfaced
Etymology: an altered form of earlier shamefast,
from Old English scamfæst
"bound by shame, bashful," from scamu
"shame" and fæst
showing modesty : BASHFUL2 :
showing shame : ASHAMED
/ nounWord History
The Old English word scamfæst
was formed by a combination of the noun scamu,
meaning "shame," and the adjective fæst,
meaning "firmly fixed or bound, fast." The meaning of scamfæst
was "bound by shame" or, more simply, "bashful." Over the course of many years, Old English scamfæst
was changed to modern English shamefaced.
The change from -fæst
occurred because many people misunderstood -fæst.
They substituted a more familiar word for one they did not know. The belief that bashfulness shows in a person's face probably also influenced the change.