"head-ache," 1660s, from Latin cephalalgia, from Greek kephalalgia "head-ache," from kephalalgēs "having a head-ache;" see cephalo- + -algia. Sometimes Englished as cephalalgy. Related: Cephalalgic.
Entries linking to cephalalgia
cephalo-
before vowels, cephal-, word-forming element meaning "head, skull, brain," Modern Latin combining form of Greek kephalē "head, uppermost or top part, source," from PIE *ghebh-el- (source also of Tocharian spal "head;" Old High German gebal "skull;" also, via the notion of "front," Gothic gibla, Old Norse gafl "side of a facade").
-algia
word-forming element denoting "pain," from Greek algos "pain," algein "to feel pain," which is of unknown origin. Related to alegein "to care about," originally "to feel pain."