Etymograph

English

migraine

Migraine comes from Latin hemicrania ‘a pain in one half of the head’, from Ancient Greek κρανίον ‘the skull’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂-root as named
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰ́ρηkắrē‘Homeric form of κᾰ́ρᾱ (kắrā, “the head’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκρανίονkraníon‘the skull’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡμικρανίαhēmikranía‘pain on one side of the head or face, migraine’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhemicrania‘a pain in one half of the head’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400migraigne
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500megrim
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1995migraine

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂-root as named
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰ́ρηkắrē‘Homeric form of κᾰ́ρᾱ (kắrā, “the head’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκρανίονkraníon‘the skull’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡμικρανίαhēmikranía‘pain on one side of the head or face, migraine’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhemicrania‘a pain in one half of the head’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400migraigne
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500megrim
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1995migraine

Earliest quotation: 1995, Robert A. Davidoff, Migraine: Manifestations: “Syncope is estimated to occur in bouts of headache…”

The story

First appears c. 1425. A respelling (following French) of the late 14th century Middle English megrim, from the 13th century Old French migraigne, from Vulgar Latin pronunciation of Latin hemicrania (‘a pain in one half of the head’), from Ancient Greek ἡμικρανία (hēmikranía), from ἡμι- (hēmi-, “hemi-, half”) + κρανίον (kraníon, “the skull”) (whence also cranium), a calque of Egyptian gs-tp (‘a headache’), from gs (‘half’) + tp (‘the head’), although the link between the Egyptian magical papyri and the Greek ἡμικρανία (hēmikranía) could be purely incidental.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-

horn, cheer, hart, cerebral, crater, corny, carotid, grail, cornea, cerebellum, cairn, cornet, procrastinate, cranium, keratin, cerebrum, rother, 52 more

Today it means

noun A severe, disabling headache, usually affecting only one side of the head, and often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, photophobia and visual disturbances.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- / migraine

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