Word For The Wise: Twin
Sixteen years ago on June 30 some twins in New York City established a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving twins, their families, medical and social science, and the public. Today we celebrate The Twins Foundation with a singular look at twins in our language.
The Old English word twin meant "twofold," "double," or "two by two." As you might expect, the modern word twin also has multiple meanings. As a noun, it can name either of two offspring produced in the same birth (as in, Rita is Rosie's twin), or it can identify two individuals who just happen to resemble each other (as in, Everyone supposedly has a twin somewhere in the world).
'Twin the verb was (of course ) born in English at the same time as its twin noun -- in the 14th century -- and it too has multiple meanings. It can mean "to couple with," as in, His name will always be twinned with that of the organization he founded. Or it can mean "to duplicate": The mirror twinned her face. It goes without saying that twin can also mean "to bear twins."
We certainly don't need to redouble our efforts to find more than one meaning for twin the adjective. As you might expect, that modifier can refer to individuals who are part of a pair of twins; that's how it's used when you talk about Avery's twin sister. The adjectival twin is also used for things that have two parts; that's the twin diplomats use when they pose the first of twin questions.
Pose a question or two to us. Our e-mail address is wftw@aol.com. Our street address is Word for the Wise, 318 Central Avenue, Albany, New York 12206.
Our production and research support comes from Merriam-Webster, publisher of language reference books and CD's including Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition.
The Old English word twin meant "twofold," "double," or "two by two." As you might expect, the modern word twin also has multiple meanings. As a noun, it can name either of two offspring produced in the same birth (as in, Rita is Rosie's twin), or it can identify two individuals who just happen to resemble each other (as in, Everyone supposedly has a twin somewhere in the world).
'Twin the verb was (of course ) born in English at the same time as its twin noun -- in the 14th century -- and it too has multiple meanings. It can mean "to couple with," as in, His name will always be twinned with that of the organization he founded. Or it can mean "to duplicate": The mirror twinned her face. It goes without saying that twin can also mean "to bear twins."
We certainly don't need to redouble our efforts to find more than one meaning for twin the adjective. As you might expect, that modifier can refer to individuals who are part of a pair of twins; that's how it's used when you talk about Avery's twin sister. The adjectival twin is also used for things that have two parts; that's the twin diplomats use when they pose the first of twin questions.
Pose a question or two to us. Our e-mail address is wftw@aol.com. Our street address is Word for the Wise, 318 Central Avenue, Albany, New York 12206.
Our production and research support comes from Merriam-Webster, publisher of language reference books and CD's including Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition.
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