Larynges

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ləɹˈɪn.d͡ʒiːz/

Definitions

1. A pair of muscular structures located at the top of the trachea that serve to produce sound and protect the airway during swallowing
2. Distinct vocal organs in vertebrates, particularly humans, responsible for phonation and facilitating breathing
3. Anatomical structures that house the vocal cords, playing a crucial role in speech and the respiratory system

Etymology: "Larynges" is simply the Latin-style plural of "larynx," so the history belongs to the singular. The Greek word "lárungx" meant the throat in general, covering both the windpipe and the gullet, and Greek writers used it that way long before anyone thought of it as a precise anatomical part. English took the term from New Latin, the scholarly Latin used by early modern scientists and physicians, which means it was adopted as a learned technical borrowing rather than arriving through everyday speech. The plural "larynges" follows the Greek and Latin pattern for words ending in "-nx," which is why anatomists kept it instead of simply adding an English "s." Both forms appear in modern usage, with "larynxes" also accepted.