Where does the word “cesarean section” come from?

Answer

Dear Phaedra,

The origin of the word cesarean section is not entirely clear. The most plausible explanation is that it refers to a certain law from ancient Rome, which stated that a pregnant woman who had just died or was dying in childbirth should have the child delivered through a section in a final attempt to save life. to save the baby.

This law already existed in the time of the Roman kings (many centuries before Christ), and was adopted later in the imperial laws during the period of the Roman Empire. This emergency redemption, in which the life of the mother was given up in favor of the life of the child, was thus effected through the section imposed by imperial law: the caesarean section.

However, other sources cite the Latin word “caedere” (= to cut) as the origin of the word caesarean section (in Latin: sectio caesarea). However, grammatically it is not possible to derive “caesarea” directly from a verb form of “caedere”. By referring to the Roman general and dictator Julius Caesar, one can make this link in a roundabout way. After all, the name Caesar would have its origin in the fact that one of Caesar’s ancestors was born by caesarean section. However, others believe that “Caesar” means “born with a lot of hair”…