tweeling

tweeling

1. present participle and gerund of tweel

From Dutch tweeling, from Middle Dutch twiling, twilling, tweiling, from Old Dutch *twinling, possibly from Proto-Germanic *twinilingaz, with the first element from *twinaz (compare German Zwilling, English twinling, Danish tvilling). By surface analysis, twee (“two”) +‎ -ling.

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tweeling (plural tweelinge)

1. twin

From Middle Dutch twiling, twilling, tweiling, from Old Dutch *twinling, possibly from Proto-Germanic *twinilingaz, with the first element from *twinaz (compare German Zwilling, English twinling, Danish tvilling). By surface analysis, twee (“two”) +‎ -ling.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʋeː.lɪŋ/

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• Rhymes: -eːlɪŋ
• Hyphenation: twee‧ling

tweeling m (plural tweelingen, diminutive tweelingetje n)

1. a pair of twins; said of people and other mammals

   Mijn broer en ik zijn een tweeling. ― My brother and I are twins. (literally, “My brother and I are a twin [pair].”)

2. (less common, usually plural only) each of two twin siblings

   Een tweeling is nooit alleen. ― A twin is never alone.

3. a vegetal or object equivalent, e.g. an identical fruit pair

• Afrikaans: tweeling
• → Sranan Tongo: twelengi
  • → Aukan: toolengi
  • → Saramaccan: túlíngi