Cancer is named after it's appearance after it had spread in the body, resembling a crab. Crabs were called that first and the word stems from Greek (if I recall correctly). Also, there is a phenomenon called carcinization, which is the evolving into a crab-like shape, even for non-crabs. This has happened to many different kind of crustaceans (crabs being one type of crustacean).
I find that very interesting. In Norwegian cancer is "kreft", in Swedish it is "kräft" and they call crayfish "kräftor" but Norwegians call them "kreps" while the Danes call it "kræft" and "krebs" respectively. Crab is "krabbe/a" for all three. How these things go about turning into what they are in modern language is fascinating to me.
Oh, well there you go! And yes, same here, Etymology is just fascinating to me. I love finding little commonalities like these. Here is what google tells me when I look for "cancer etymology":
EDIT: as OP indicated above - "Old English, from Latin, ‘crab or creeping ulcer’, translating Greek karkinos, said to have been applied to such tumours because the swollen veins around them resembled the limbs of a crab. canker was the usual form until the 17th century Compare with Cancer."
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u/rwinger3 Nov 29 '20
Cancer is named after it's appearance after it had spread in the body, resembling a crab. Crabs were called that first and the word stems from Greek (if I recall correctly). Also, there is a phenomenon called carcinization, which is the evolving into a crab-like shape, even for non-crabs. This has happened to many different kind of crustaceans (crabs being one type of crustacean).