[OT] What Does "/etc" Stand For and Why?

[Brett Kirksey]

Here's a random question for you? What does etc in the name of the /etc directory stand for? The obvious answer would be "et cetera". But that doesn't make sense in itself

I mean the original Unix guys named the other directories /bin for BINaries, /sbin for SecureBINaries, /tmp for TeMPorary files, /var for VARiable files, and then /etc for configuration files? Why?

I read on some discussion forum that it has been said in the original file system the developers needed a place to put the stuff that wouldn't fit in the original 4(?) directories, so they called it "et cetera".

Anyone have any good references on this?

Thanks
Brett