Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007

First, you should consider posing your question in sci.lang.

But, for what it's worth, according to The _American
Heritage Dictionary Fourth Edition_ (_AHD4_) Old French
"chere" goes back to Latin "cara", meaning "head", and that
comes from Greek "kara", again meaning "head"
(  http://www.bartleby.com/61/62/C0266200.html ).

_AHD4_ relates "cheer" to the Indo-European root "ker-"
( http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE222.html ).

Since we all speak various forms of corrupted Proto
Indo-European, it seems quite reasonable that your "chehra"
would be related to Greek "kara", head, and Spanish "cara",
face.  It might add useful perspective to your question if
you would say what the Hindi words are for "horn" and
"head".