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Origin and history of caecum

caecum(n.)

in human anatomy, "the pouch at the beginning of the colon," 1721, from Latin intestinum caecum "blind gut," from neuter of caecus "blind, hidden," from Proto-Italic *kaiko-, from PIE *kehi-ko- "one-eyed," cognate with Old Irish ca'ech "one-eyed," coeg "empty," Welsh coeg-dall, Old Cornish cuic "one-eyed;" Gothic haihs "one-eyed, blind." So called for being prolonged into a cul-de-sac. Related: Caecal.

also from 1721

Entries linking to caecum

Cecil

masc. proper name, from Latin Caecilius (fem. Caecilia), name of a Roman gens, from caecus "blind" (see caecum).

cecum(n.)

variant of caecum.

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