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Ojalá
Words
Certain: The standard etymology in the RAE dictionary and in Corriente; no serious doubt.Science & games · Everyday

nuca

nape — the back of the neckparte de atrás del cuello

Comes from Arabic

نُخَاع

nukhāʿ

“the spinal cord”«la médula espinal»

Arabic today says

قَفَا

qafā

Root

ن خ ع

n-kh-ʿ

The article

It came in without the article.

The story

It came in through the Latin of physicians (nucha), who translated Arabic books: from the spinal cord it shifted to the spot where the cord enters the skull.Entró por el latín de los médicos (nucha), que traducían libros árabes: de la médula pasó a nombrar el lugar donde la médula entra en el cráneo.

In a sentence

Me duele la nuca.

The back of my neck hurts.

يُؤْلِمُنِي قَفَايَ.

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