The Spanish word 'sección' comes from the Latin word 'sectio', meaning 'cutting' or 'division'. This Latin word was derived from the verb 'secare', which meant 'to cut'. The evolution from the concrete action of cutting to the more abstract concept of a section or division is a natural semantic development, as a section is essentially a part that has been 'cut' from a whole.

Several common Spanish words share this Latin root of 'secare' (to cut). For example, 'insecto' (insect) comes from the same root because insects appear to be 'cut into' segments. The word 'segmento' itself is also related, coming from the same notion of cutting or dividing. Another related word is 'disecar' (to dissect), which literally means to 'cut apart'.

Many English words share the same Latin root as 'sección'. The most obvious is 'section' itself, but there are others like 'dissect' (to cut apart), 'intersect' (to cut across each other), 'segment' (a part cut off), and even 'insect' (whose body appears to be cut into sections). The word 'bisect' (to cut into two parts) also comes from this same Latin root.