The English Oracle

The counterpart of "facial" for head

--------------------------------------------------
Hire the world's top talent on demand or became one of them at Toptal: https://topt.al/25cXVn
and get $2,000 discount on your first invoice
--------------------------------------------------

Music by Eric Matyas
https://www.soundimage.org
Track title: Ocean Floor

--

Chapters
00:00 The Counterpart Of &Quot;Facial&Quot; For Head
00:39 Answer 1 Score 10
01:07 Accepted Answer Score 21
02:22 Thank you

--

Full question
https://english.stackexchange.com/questi...

--

Content licensed under CC BY-SA
https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/lice...

--

Tags
#singlewordrequests #adjectives #analogy

#avk47



ACCEPTED ANSWER

Score 21


Cranial can be correct.

Your attendant will apply the facial cream and give you a cranial massage.

To use capital in that case would not be correct.

  • Cranium is anatomical

    Those bones which enclose the brain (as distinguished from those of the face and jaws); the brain-case, brain-pan, skull — OED]

  • Capital generally involves loss of the head

    Involving loss of the head or life. Of an offence, crime, etc.: punishable by death; incurring the death penalty — OED

  • Cephalic has a specific biological sense (as opposed to purely anatomical) and tends to be used in combining forms with that meaning

    Of or pertaining to the head, situated in the head; of the nature of a head. Physiology and BiologyOED

    Forming adjectives relating to a head or heads (in various senses) or skull, as cynocephalic, adj., microcephalic, adj., polycephalic, adj.ibid


Afterthought: If you used capital in "...and give you a capital massage," it would actually change the meaning completely to OED II.6.f (paywalled)

Excellent, outstanding, first-rate. Frequently as an exclamation of approval. Now somewhat dated.




ANSWER 2

Score 10


In everyday language, the word head is often used as an attributive noun:

The masseur will apply the facial cream and give you a head rub.

Miss D. is waiting for her head transplant, so she has priority over Miss M., who merely needs a face transplant.

In more formal or academic or literary language, you could use capital, cephalic:

Marie Antoinette was not in favour of capital punishment.

Tricephalic people are superior to unicapitals.