The Body Organ and the Instrument Share One Word
An organ is a body part with a function, and also a keyboard instrument. Both come from a Greek word meaning tool.
An organ is a part of the body with a specific function, a large keyboard instrument, or a publication representing a group. Greek *organon* meant simply a tool or instrument, and all three senses are tools: the heart is an instrument of the body, the pipe organ an instrument of music, and a party newspaper an instrument of its cause. The same root gives *organic*, *organise* and *organism*, all resting on the idea of parts working as a functioning whole.
- A body part. *A vital organ.*
- A keyboard instrument. *A church organ.*
- A publication. *The party's organ.*
- Organic — of living things. *Organic matter.*
- Greek — *organon*, a tool. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | organ | A vital organ. |
| Plural | organs | Internal organs. |
| Adjective | organic | Organic chemistry. |
| Verb | organise | Organise it. |
| Greek | organon | A tool. |
- The liver is a vital organ.Anatomy.
- The organ has four keyboards.Music.
- Organon meant a tool.Etymology.
How a pipe organ works
- Air is pushed through pipes by bellows or a blower
- Each pipe produces one pitch and one timbre
- Stops select which sets of pipes sound
- Manuals and pedals let one player control many ranks
- The largest instruments have tens of thousands of pipes
Greek *organon*, a tool or instrument, through Latin *organum*. English had both senses by the Middle Ages.
Why do the body part and the instrument share a name?
Both come from a Greek word meaning tool. Each is an instrument, one of the body and one of music.
Why is a newspaper called an organ?
Because it acts as the instrument or voice of a party or movement.