TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 (est.) · 字
臉
臉 ＝ 月 ＋ 僉
ㄌㄧㄢˇ · liǎn
noun — face; expression; reputation, face (one's standing)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
僉聲qiān — gives the soundthe same 僉 under 簽、檢、險
{j,q,x,l}Iqiān → liǎn — the palatal shifts to l in this branch
Flesh (月) and the sound 僉 — the flesh of the face. A late character: the older texts wrote 面 for face, and 臉 first meant just the cheeks. 僉 carries the sound, qiān worn to liǎn. From the face came its look, and the "face" you keep or lose: 臉色、笑臉、丟臉.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
兩頰的肉（月）一鼓——笑臉。
The flesh (月) of both cheeks lifts — a smiling face.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)臉頰、臉孔— face, cheeks常用
→臉色、笑臉— expression, look on the face常用
⇒臉面、丟臉— face, reputation, standing
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension