What do you say...

"David desJardins" wrote in message
...
Andrea writes:
One of my girls has a medical problem and I was reading her notes the
other day at an appointment and noticed in her profile they had
labelled her a non-identical twin. That really irked me. Why could
they not just call her a fraternal twin, do they equally call
identical twins non-fraternal twins?

I think identical/non-identical is common medical terminology.
Admittedly, monozygotic/dizygotic is more "scientific" (and avoids the
implication that "identical" twins are exactly the same), but those
don't really roll off most people's tongues. I think the medical
community avoids the term "fraternal" because its primary meaning is
"brotherly" or "friendly" ("fraternal" comes from the Latin term for
"brother"), so it's rather an odd usage (i.e., twins that aren't
"fraternal" can still be brothers, or friendly).

I agree--fraternal, in these PC days, is not gender-inclusive.
Interestingly, I ran into this a while ago: someone in the shopping mall
was admiring the kidlets. We had already covered the "are they twins?" and
the fact that they are two boys when we got to the next standard question,
"are they identical?" I said, "no, they're fraternal." The woman says "Of
course, you said they were boys didn't you." She walked away, leaving me
thinking "what did she think I would have said if they were girls?"

Marie


It's hardly the only case whether the colloquial term ("fraternal") is
different from the common medical usage ("non-identical").

David desJardins

I said, "no, they're fraternal." The woman says "Of
course, you said they were boys didn't you." She walked away, leaving me
thinking "what did she think I would have said if they were girls?" BRBR

Marie,

I have had many many people ask me if my twins are a boy and a girl and after I
have said yes, they have asked if they were identical.

My assumption is many people just do not know what constitutes being an
identical twin.

Michelle
Mommy to Riley Claire & James Michael

I said, "no, they're fraternal." The woman says "Of
course, you said they were boys didn't you." She walked away, leaving me
thinking "what did she think I would have said if they were girls?" BRBR

Marie,

I have had many many people ask me if my twins are a boy and a girl and after I
have said yes, they have asked if they were identical.

My assumption is many people just do not know what constitutes being an
identical twin.

Michelle
Mommy to Riley Claire & James Michael

I said, "no, they're fraternal." The woman says "Of
course, you said they were boys didn't you." She walked away, leaving me
thinking "what did she think I would have said if they were girls?"

Marie,I have had many many people ask me if my twins are a boy and a girl and
after Ihave said yes, they have asked if they were identical.My assumption is
many people just do not know what constitutes being anidentical twin.
Michelle Mommy to Riley Claire & James Michael

I have met a frightening number of people who don't KNOW what identical means.
At least not in the context of twins. "I always forget, is it identical or
fraternal that look alike?" (Not to mention that some of them say "paternal,"
but that's understandable, I guess.)

--Helen

I said, "no, they're fraternal." The woman says "Of
course, you said they were boys didn't you." She walked away, leaving me
thinking "what did she think I would have said if they were girls?"

Marie,I have had many many people ask me if my twins are a boy and a girl and
after Ihave said yes, they have asked if they were identical.My assumption is
many people just do not know what constitutes being anidentical twin.
Michelle Mommy to Riley Claire & James Michael

I have met a frightening number of people who don't KNOW what identical means.
At least not in the context of twins. "I always forget, is it identical or
fraternal that look alike?" (Not to mention that some of them say "paternal,"
but that's understandable, I guess.)

--Helen

(Not to mention that some of them say "paternal,"
but that's understandable, I guess.) BRBR

Yep, I've heard that one as well. I actually have a few sets of twins in my
family so I guess I got an education long before I ever imagined I would have
them.
Michelle
Mommy to Riley Claire & James Michael

(Not to mention that some of them say "paternal,"
but that's understandable, I guess.) BRBR

Yep, I've heard that one as well. I actually have a few sets of twins in my
family so I guess I got an education long before I ever imagined I would have
them.
Michelle
Mommy to Riley Claire & James Michael

David desJardins wrote:

I think the medical
community avoids the term "fraternal" because its primary
meaning is
"brotherly"

Yeah I remember Nancy Segal saying at a conference once that
the correct word for girl fraternal twins is actually
sororal (sp) twins.


--
Andrea

If I can't be a good example, then I'll just have to be a
horrible warning.

David desJardins wrote:

I think the medical
community avoids the term "fraternal" because its primary
meaning is
"brotherly"

Yeah I remember Nancy Segal saying at a conference once that
the correct word for girl fraternal twins is actually
sororal (sp) twins.


--
Andrea

If I can't be a good example, then I'll just have to be a
horrible warning.

Michelle --

I actually had an adult *identical twin* ask me this question.

Julie
Mom to Erica & Christopher, 07/97

Twinzmommie wrote:

I said, "no, they're fraternal." The woman says "Of
course, you said they were boys didn't you." She walked away, leaving me
thinking "what did she think I would have said if they were girls?" BRBR

Marie,

I have had many many people ask me if my twins are a boy and a girl and after I
have said yes, they have asked if they were identical.

My assumption is many people just do not know what constitutes being an
identical twin.

Michelle
Mommy to Riley Claire & James Michael