why is the vertebrae of the neck called the cervical vertebrae?

Cervical refers to the neck.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cervical

why is it called cervical vertebrae?

Put the two definitions together.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vertebra

thanks

You're welcome.

The vertebrae of the neck are called cervical vertebrae because they belong to the cervical region of the spinal column. The human spinal column is divided into different regions based on the location of its vertebrae. In total, there are seven cervical vertebrae in the neck region.

To understand why they are specifically called "cervical" vertebrae, it helps to know that the term "cervix" refers to the anatomical structure of the neck, such as the neck of the uterus in females. The word "cervical" is derived from the Latin term "cervix," meaning neck.

So, in the case of the neck vertebrae, they are called cervical vertebrae simply because they are positioned in the neck area and support the mobility and flexibility of the neck. This terminology is commonly used in human anatomy to describe this specific region of the spinal column.