Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ache” come from?

Ache comes from Middle English ache, Old English ǣcen, and Latin apium, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-.

ache (English): To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in,...

Definitions

  1. To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in,...

Ancestry of “ache”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishacheAching; long-lasting hurting or injury; A plant...
2Old Frenchache—
3Latinapiumparsley; celery; genitive plural of apis
4LatinApis—
5Ancient GreekἌπις—
6Copticϩⲁⲡⲉ—
7Egyptianḥp—

Words derived from “ache”

  • toothache
  • backache
  • ake
  • stomachache
  • achy
  • earache
  • bellyache
  • achiness
  • psychache
  • faceache
  • acheth
  • tummyache
  • neckache
  • headake
  • toothake
  • toothachy
  • achest
  • acheless
  • bellyacher
  • boneache
  • acheful
  • achefully
  • achelike
  • dickache
Every word from Egyptian ḥp →