One of which there are two.

[Leszek L.]

Hello,

I have been looking for an English term describing such organs as kidneys,
lungs, eyes, ears etc, of which we have two per (healthy) person. I think
I have found the right one to suit my needs: "a paired organ".

However, the definition I found on the web is somewhat bizarre:

A paired organ is one in which there are two separate organs
of the same kind, one on either side of the body.

Is there a way to say this in correct idiomatic English, in the scientific
register, without running into the paradox of calling two organs one?

Thanks in advance, Leszek L.

[John Ramsay]

Post by Leszek L.
Hello,
I have been looking for an English term describing such organs as kidneys,
lungs, eyes, ears etc, of which we have two per (healthy) person. I think
I have found the right one to suit my needs: "a paired organ".
A paired organ is one in which there are two separate organs
of the same kind, one on either side of the body.
Is there a way to say this in correct idiomatic English, in the scientific
register, without running into the paradox of calling two organs one?
Thanks in advance, Leszek L.

twin or twinned organs - kidneys, testes, lungs, etc

a web search will give examples

[Leszek L.]

(...)

Post by John Ramsay

Post by Leszek L.
A paired organ is one in which there are two separate organs
of the same kind, one on either side of the body.
Is there a way to say this in correct idiomatic English, in the scientific
register, without running into the paradox of calling two organs one?

twin or twinned organs - kidneys, testes, lungs, etc
a web search will give examples

Thank you; I suppose I am happy with the term "paired organs",
unless you say there is something wrong with it.

What I was asking, out of curiosity more than for any practical
use, was how to define the concept of twin or paired organs
in a way less awkward than the definition I cited.

All the best, L.

[John Ramsay]

Post by Leszek L.
(...)

Post by John Ramsay

Post by Leszek L.
A paired organ is one in which there are two separate organs
of the same kind, one on either side of the body.
Is there a way to say this in correct idiomatic English, in the scientific
register, without running into the paradox of calling two organs one?

twin or twinned organs - kidneys, testes, lungs, etc
a web search will give examples

Thank you; I suppose I am happy with the term "paired organs",
unless you say there is something wrong with it.
What I was asking, out of curiosity more than for any practical
use, was how to define the concept of twin or paired organs
in a way less awkward than the definition I cited.
All the best, L.

The initial problem I had with 'paired' was it implied the organs
had to work as a pair.

But external pairs - arms, hands, legs, feet - can work as a pair or
individually.

Internal pairs - kidneys, lungs- work as a pair but if one fails the
other can carry on on its own.

Perhaps you need to add a short note to that effect.

[izzy]

What I was asking, ... was how to define the concept of twin or
paired organs in a way less awkward than the definition I cited.

Hebrew has a special "dual" suffix for paired organs (and some paired
things like scissors). Using @ for aleph and 3 for aiyin, this -aYiM
suffix is seen in words like:
3aYN-aYiM = eyes
@oZN-aYiM = ears
YaD-aYiM = hands
ReGL-aYiM = legs
BeRK-aYiM = knees
S'FaT-aYiM = lips

Some body parts that are singular in English are dual in Hebrew, for
example:
MoSN-aYiM = waist

On Phoenician anthropomorphic (body-part) maps, the name for the left
(sinister) body part is sometimes reversed. For example, Nafud (in NE
Arabia) is a reversal of DoFeN = side, Kuwait is a reversal of SHvK =
thigh/shank at a time when the shin had a T-sound, and Bahrain is the
metathesis (partial reversal) of BeReKH = leg/knee.

This BeReKH = leg appears in the Latin name for the crab genus:
Brachayura. The crab has 10 legs, 2 of which are evil pincers. BeReKH/
Bracha is reversed to form crab/German Krebb. Hebrew BRaKHa is a
homogram that also means blessing. Hence, "BReaK a leg", the blessing
given to an actor before a performance.

Arabic Misr / Hebrew MiTZR-aYiM is the narrow (Hebrew TZaR) waist on
the body part map of Aphrodite in north Africa. Here is a limerick
that describes some of her other parts.

Aphrodite as an Anthropomorphic Map

The goddess we call Aphrodite
Is not just an old Grecian deity.
The Phoenicians did make
Her a map. It's not fake.
Her body is cartograffiti.

The Punic war destroyed her face,
The Romans left nary a trace.
But her hair is still there,
In Sahara, that's where.
And her chin's a Tunisian place.

Mt. Atlas is her first verTebra.
Her backbone is now Gulf of Sidra.
Her heart is in Libya,
Her left leg, Somalia.
Her breast is in Chad wearing no bra.

The Greeks called her liver Egypt, an'
Her kidney was Biblical Goshen.
She's bent at her waist,
Now Misr-ably placed.
The Red Sea was her menstruation.

As a kid I did think the Red Sea
Was an English map typo: lost E,
From Reed Sea in Hebrew.
But that could not be true,
Mare Rubrum 'twas Latin, B.C.

Aphrodite with Hermes did sin,
We know this is true 'cause within
Her "snatch" we call Sinai
His "zaiyin" does still lie.
It's known as the desert of Zin.

Best regards,
Israel "izzy" Cohen
BPMaps moderator

PS - You are cordially invited to join the BPMaps group (about 2
emails / month). Look for message # 7 entitled "Attributes of body
part maps" on the BPMaps website at
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BPMaps/