Origin of The Name
The phrase bene gesserit is Latin. It comprises the adverb bene, meaning either "well" or "properly" and the verb gero, gerere meaning either "to govern" or "to bear or carry". The verb is in the third-person singular of the future perfect active indicative tense, and translates as "(She) will have conducted herself well", referencing to their selection, indoctrination, and training programs. It also could be interpreted as "(she) will have carried / birthed well", referring to their selective breeding program.
In Dreamer of Dune, Brian Herbert's 2003 biography of his father, the younger Herbert speculates that the name "Gesserit" is supposed to suggest to the reader the word "Jesuit" and thus evoke undertones of a religious order. Like the Jesuits, the Bene Gesserit have been accused of using casuistry to obtain justifications for the unjustifiable.
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