A person's face or expression, or to accept and allow something to happen.
From Old French 'contenance' meaning appearance or bearing, derived from Latin 'continentia' (self-control). The meaning evolved from 'how you carry yourself' to 'your facial expression.'
In old literature, people's 'countenances' reveal their feelings—a pale countenance meant fear, and a flushed one meant anger—so it became a window into people's souls before we had close-up photography.
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