Like on the front of your neck.
2006-12-11 10:24:11 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Regarding the etymology of the term "Adam's apple", Webster's 1913 dictionary states that the term "… is so called from a notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit, (an apple) sticking in the throat of our first parent." A reference to Adam in the Book of Genesis.
2006-12-11 10:27:38 · answer #1 · answered by violetb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Adam;s Apple: A familiar anatomic feature in the front of the neck that is due to the forward protrusion of the thyroid cartilage, the largest and most prominent cartilage of the larynx.
The thyroid cartilage tends to enlarge at adolescence, particularly in males. Enlargement of the Adam's apple is considered, like pubic hair growth, one of the secondary sexual characteristics.
Origin of the term: It is usually said that Adam's apple takes its name from the biblical story about Adam, Eve. the serpent and the apple. A piece of the forbidden fruit stuck in Adam's throat and created the anatomic Adam's apple. So the story goes. However, it may be wrong.
Adam's apple in Latin is "pomum Adami." This may have been a mistranslation of the Hebrew "tappuach ha adam" which also means male bump. Between Latin and English there's many a slip.
Alternate term: The medical term (which is rarely used) for the Adam's apple is "prominentia laryngea" (prominence of the larynx).
2006-12-11 18:32:14 · answer #2 · answered by Prabhakar G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As for Adam's apple, it appears in an English dictionary of 1755, suggesting that it had been in use for at least some time prior to that. The cartilage that protrudes in the center of, especially, men's necks was equated with a piece of the forbidden fruit (by the 18th century it was popularly the apple) that had got stuck in Adam's throat. It served as a reminder of Adam's fall. You'll notice that this cartilage is not visually evident in most women.
2006-12-11 18:33:09 · answer #3 · answered by Lindsay MG 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is so called from a notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit, which is commonly thought to be an apple, sticking in the throat of Adam from the book of Genesis,
2006-12-11 18:28:16 · answer #4 · answered by bensbabe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From the bible's adam and eve.......adam took the first bite of the apple apparently....that's what I remember it...I may be wrong but I think that's right.
2006-12-11 18:31:24 · answer #5 · answered by Al D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋