From face + mail, modelled after email.
A compound of face + mail
Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-
…
Latin faciēs ‘form’
Late Latin facia
Old French face
Middle English face
English face
Proto-Germanic *malhō ‘leather bag’
Frankish *malhu ‘bag’
Old French male ‘bag, wallet’
Anglo-Norman male
Middle English male ‘bag’
English mail
Today it means
noun Face-to-face communication, as opposed to other non-personal forms of communication.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / facemail
Shirt and support for this word