Affront

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Middle English (as a verb): from Old French afronter ‘to slap in the face, insult’, based on Latin ad frontem ‘to the face’.

wiktionary

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From Middle English afrounten, from Old French afronter(“to defy”), from Vulgar Latin *affrontare(“to hit in the face”), from Latin ad(“to”) + frōns(“forehead”) (English front).

etymonline

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affront (v.)

early 14c., "offend by open disrespect," a figurative use, from Old French afronter "to face, confront; to slap in the face" (13c., Modern French affronter), from Late Latin affrontare "to strike against," from Latin ad frontem "to the face," from ad "to" (see ad-) + frons (genitive frontis) "forehead, front" (see front (n.)). Related: Affronted; affronting.

affront (n.)

1590s, "an openly offensive word or deed," from affront (v.) or from French affront (n.), from the verb in French.