Forums → The Tavern → Is a Thumb a Thumb, or is a Thumb a Finger? You Decide!
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I was curious as to what you the users of AG think on this matter.
What do I think on this matter? Why I'm glad you asked. I think every thumb is a finger, but not every finger is a thumb. My brother and I were debating this issue, so I decided to look up the definition of finger and thumb in the dictionary. The definitions they used made me want to smack the dictionary and yell at it. Finger is described is: the four slender jointed digits on ones hand. Meanwhile thumb is defined as (I quote): A short thick finger.
Grrrrrrr, the definition of finger says that there are four on each hand, meanwhile the definition of thumb was and I quote: a short thick finger. I curse this self-contradicting dictionary!!!
So what do you the users of AG think?
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Grrrrrrr, the definition of finger says that there are four on each hand, meanwhile the definition of thumb was and I quote: a short thick finger. I curse this self-contradicting dictionary!!!
Use a better dictionary.
noun
Finger
"each of the four slender jointed parts attached to either hand (or five, if the thumb is included):"
noun
Thumb
"the short, thick first digit of the human hand, set lower and apart from the other four and opposable to them.
the digit of primates or other mammals that corresponds to the human thumb."
Definitions aside, I consider it a finger. It has the same shape and function and comparable length. The only difference is that it is opposable to the others and is slightly thicker.
I think a thumb is just a specific name for a finger. Just as you have a pinky finger, ring finger etc. The definition I looked at says a finger is "any of the terminal members of the hand, especially one other than the thumb", yet I found my definition said the same thing as yours for a thumb. It does indeed contradict. Silly thing.
I found my definition said the same thing as yours for a thumb. It does indeed contradict. Silly thing.Ah good so I'm not seeing things
+ We know that a thumb is a finger because Sheldon of "The Big Bang Theory" said it was a finger, thus it is one lol
"A thumb is a finger but a finger is not a thumb" is what I say. It's a special finger, but a finger nonetheless.
tbh I've never thought of it as not a finger. I thought everyone learned humans had 10 fingers, 10 toes. Sounds unnatural to say 8 fingers and 10 toes for me. xD But I suppose when it comes to naming each finger, the thumb may not seem like one, since a hand has an "index finger", "middle finger", "ring finger", "inky/baby finger", and a "thumb".
I think a thumb, is a odd finger, A.K.A, a thumb. See how simple my definition is? Im gonna put it in the dictionary...... or make a Wikipedia page about it. Which one should I do?
Definitions aside, I consider it a finger. It has the same shape and function and comparable length. The only difference is that it is opposable to the others and is slightly thicker.
I consider it a finger too, because for me finger=digit. But the thumb having only two phalanges (compared to three for the other fingers) and being opposable, and thus a characteristic to differentiate "true hands" from paws, I can see why a certain differentiation is often made.
Ahh the perfect argument. How can a thumb be a finger? When thumbs are so much more dextile and has 2 metacarpal phalangeal joints (MPJ's) when a finger has 3 metacarpal phalangeal joints (MPJ's). For example, if someone were to say you have 5 fingers take this into account try opening a sealed jar with 5 fingers, but with the thumb it makes it a lot easier, so what else would you call this 'thumb'?
nounI noticed that it said (or five, if the thumb is included) thus saying it is the persons choice to define it as a thumb or a finger.
Finger
"each of the four slender jointed parts attached to either hand (or five, if the thumb is included):"
So in my theory I would say it is a thumb and not a finger.
+ We know that a thumb is a finger because Sheldon of "The Big Bang Theory" said it was a finger, thus it is one lolSo are we saying now that comedy shows are 100% correct? They are actors and they are told what to say thus saying it may not be
Why can't it be both? Just because it has a different build and different abilities than the other fingers doesn't mean it should be excluded from the group. How would you feel if you were a thumb that always got picked on just because it didn't fit in?
Why can't it be both?It can be considered both in the dictionary that I looked in but I still consider it a thumb.
Just because it has a different build and different abilities than the other fingers doesn't mean it should be excluded from the group.That is my exact reason why I consider is a thumb and not a finger because it is different from the other fingers.
How would you feel if you were a thumb that always got picked on just because it didn't fit in?Very humourous But in technicality irrelevant, and honestly I would hate to be a thumb in this scenario LOL
So therefore my point stays as is unless I am proven otherwise
but I still consider it a thumb.
Of course it's a thumb. I don't know why people are arguing over whether or not a thumb is a thumb, because that goes without saying.
That is my exact reason why I consider is a thumb and not a finger because it is different from the other fingers.
The pinky is much shorter than the three middle fingers. Does that mean it shouldn't be a finger either just because it's slightly different?
It has one less joint, and it has its own individual name just like the pinky does, but if you say you only have four fingers on each hand, people are going to wonder what happened to the fifth one.
Ahh the perfect argument. How can a thumb be a finger? When thumbs are so much more dextile and has 2 metacarpal phalangeal joints (MPJ's) when a finger has 3 metacarpal phalangeal joints (MPJ's). For example, if someone were to say you have 5 fingers take this into account try opening a sealed jar with 5 fingers, but with the thumb it makes it a lot easier, so what else would you call this 'thumb'?
That's why we call it thumb, to make clear it isn't like the other fingers... but it just means it is a special finger. Consider that the thumb evolved from a regular digit to a special digit, and embryologically starts out as a normal digit bud. Thus, from an evolutionary and from a developmental point of view, it is definitely a specialized finger.
The pinky is much shorter than the three middle fingers. Does that mean it shouldn't be a finger either just because it's slightly different?Yes but the thumb has 2 metacarpophalangeal joints (MPJ's) while the pinky only has 3 metacarpophalangeal joints (MPJ's). Also the thumb is more dextile than the pinky.
people are going to wonder what happened to the fifth one.I would not wonder I would know oh yea theres the thumb.
Thus, from an evolutionary and from a developmental point of view, it is definitely a specialized finger.Which is much easier to just say a thumb because if all these fingers are not the same why bother call it a finger if they are different.
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