"headache" in seven languages
Meaningheadache
Spanish
dolor de cabeza
/doˈloɾ de kaˈbeθa/
masc.other source · dolor (DOLŌREM) + cabeza (*CAPITIA)
French
mal de tête
/mal də tɛt/
masc.inherited
Italian
mal di testa
/mal di ˈtɛsta/
masc.inherited
Portuguese
dor de cabeça
/doh dʒi kaˈbesɐ/
fem.other source · dor (DOLŌREM) + cabeça (*CAPITIA)
Romanian
durere de cap
/duˈrere de kap/
fem.other source · durere (Latin DOLĒRE) + cap (Latin CAPUT)
Catalan
mal de cap
/mal də kap/
masc.other source · mal (MALUM) + cap (Latin CAPUT 'head')
English
headache
/ˈhɛdeɪk/
native English · Old English hēafod + ece
English → Italianheadachemal di testaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
MALUM + TESTAM‘ill, ache + pot (→ head)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
French and Italian share both pieces: mal 'ache' and the 'pot' head (TESTA). Spanish says 'pain of head'. To say it hurts: me duele la cabeza, j'ai mal à la tête, mi fa male la testa.
Learn it
In a sentence
- esTengo un dolor de cabeza horrible.
- frJ'ai un mal de tête terrible.
- itHo un mal di testa terribile.
- ptEstou com uma dor de cabeça horrível.
- roAm o durere de cap groaznică.
- caTinc un mal de cap terrible.
- enI have a terrible headache.