midwives

[doomey!]

Why are mid wives called mid wives?

also is there such a thing as a mid husband?

[gary baldy]

They are called male midwives and at last count there were only 93 in the country (0.3%).

[Quizmonster]

The word 'midwife' comes from 'mid' meaning 'with' - similar to the German word 'mit' - and the old meaning of the word 'wife' which was simply 'woman'. A midwife is, therefore, someone who is "with a woman"...ie there to help her give birth.

[Quizmonster]

I should, of course, have said "a with-woman" rather than "with a woman" above!

[bernardo]

I was going to say what Q said.
Therefore a male midwife is still a midwife (not a midhusband) - unless a man is the one giving birth.

[doomey!]

we all saw the sequal to twins, so we all know its possible ;)