Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Word Origins 46. The word origin today is Siamese twins. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. This is a more informal term for conjoined twins. So sometimes today if you see an article about it you know especially in like in a medical magazine, they might more likely still say conjoined twins. But you do hear Siamese twins that's how most people know it. If they actually seen somebody like this, they say Oh Siamese twins. I's first thing they usually think of but the more formal name is conjoined twins. Okay. Let's continue. So conjoined twins or Siamese twins are inextricably linked or inseparable. Yeah. they can separate more today than they used to be able to. But it really depends upon where they're connected . If they're connected on the hip I think there's a better chance. We've seen you know, several years ago I remember there were those twins in Iran that were connected with their heads. That didn't work out well. They tried to separate them both and the operation actually killed them. So it depends where you're joined and you know whether you know, what, what organs you're sharing, whether it's possible to try to separate. So you can have more of a normal sort of a life. Well let's continue here. The term Siamese twins came from an actual pair of twins Chang and Eng bunker. Okay. They were born in Siam the old name for Thailand. So Thailand at one time used to be called Siam. You know, if you ever seen the older films or the old play or movie you know, "The King and I ' that was also Siam at that time. Okay. That is where the term Siamese twins comes from because it was from Thailand. So they were Siamese because they were from Thailand and the old name of Thailand was Siam. Okay, Good. Let's continue. They actually had Chinese parents, so it's kind of ironic they're known as the Siamese twins but they're their actual background nationality is Chinese. So in Thailand , they were known as the Chinese twin. So in Thailand they didn't call them the Siamese twins they call them the Chinese twins. This pair of Siamese twins was the first to become internationally famous. So the first pair of you know, conjoined or Siamese twins that people started to know about or learn about was this pair. So that's why you know Siamese twins, that term held for a long time. All right. So , so so the pair of Siamese twins were the first to become internationally famous due to Rubert Hunter an entrepreneur, businessman who arranged for them to travel in a circus freak show. All right so this is how they started to make their money originally when they were younger. I think, I think that was actually in England. In the show , they were known as the United brothers. Okay. Then they made a certain amount of money and I think they actually moved to the US. In 1839 , they settled in Carolina I'm not sure today whether it's North Carolina or South Carolina but they settled in Carolina and married local sisters. Yeah . I think there's been a few cases of conjoined twins actually marrying sisters. Yes, And had 22 children. So I don't know how much privacy they had when you have conjoined twins. Obviously everybody sees everything. But you know, they enjoyed themselves. They had 22 children you know, this is far more than anybody has today. This is like five or six families today. And actually had become slave owners. Yeah. They bought like a plantation in the Carolinas. So they needed slaves to help work the plantation. Then I think once they had all their children though they still had some money troubles. After that's a lot of children to raise. That's a lot of money even in 1839. That's a lot of money. So I think they actually had to join his circus again in the US to you know, to to supplement their income. To pay for everything. Anyway, so that's why Siamese twins got to be known you know , as an informal name for conjoined twins. Okay. Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope it's clear hope. I hope it was informative. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.
A2 US siamese thailand carolina pair chinese plantation English Tutor Nick P Word Origins (46) Siamese Twins 7 0 anitawu12 posted on 2019/06/05 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary