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.