Tom, mah hu omer?
Joe in Australia | 08.08.08 - 4:15 am | #

re: Ben-Yehuda also notes that it isn't clear from the Biblical usage whether the word only meant two children born at the same time, or if it would be used for triplets or quadruplets as well.

see תלמוד בבלי כריתות ט: that it is also used for triplets and quadruplets
kramer | 08.12.08 - 6:19 am | #

Since you didn't mention it, I suppose you don't accept the idea that the word "twin" came indirectly from "teom", with the nasal letter 'm' moving to an 'n'.
Phil | 08.12.08 - 8:56 am | #

Actually, this book seems to suggest a possible connection:

http://books.google.com/books? id...1cAPA#PPA532,M1
Dave (Balashon) | Homepage | 08.12.08 - 9:06 am | #

תום can also be a girl's name in Hebrew. I don't think it's related to תאום, or to the English Tom, but rather to the root תם. Its meaning is "innocence" or "simplicity."
Matthew Levie | 08.19.08 - 9:10 pm | #