'algogen' originates from Greek, specifically the element 'alg-' from 'algos' meaning 'pain' and the combining element '-gen' (from Greek/Neo-Latin) meaning 'producing' or 'generated by'.

'algogen' is a modern scientific coinage formed in Neo-Latin/English from Greek roots ('algos' + '-gen') and has been used in medical and physiological literature since the late 19th to 20th century.

Initially formed to mean 'that which produces pain' and this core meaning has been retained; its use has become specialized and primarily technical in modern contexts.