The auricle is the external structure of the ear.
The ear is the external structure of the ear , formed by skin and cartilage. Its mission is to perceive sounds through vibrations, and then conduct them to the internal part of the auditory system.
The etymological origin of the term we are dealing with here can be found in Latin. It derives from auricula , which in turn comes from the term auris (which means “ear” ).
For example: “They say Van Gogh cut off his ear” , “When it's very cold, my ears freeze” , “Take your headphones off your ears when I talk to you” .
Features of the ears
Ears have very different characteristics depending on the species. Some animals have the ability to direct their ears towards the source of sounds, which allows them to improve their hearing. Humans , on the other hand, have ears with reduced and involuntary mobility.
Continuing with humans, ears are often used to display various accessories for aesthetic or ritual reasons. Hoops or earrings are a common element in the ears, especially in women .
Ear characteristics depend on the species.
The term in different expressions
Ears are also the protagonists of various popular sayings. The expression “to prick up one’s ears” is used to refer to paying attention, by analogy to the movement that animals can make: “When I noticed that they were talking about me, I pricked up my ears to find out what they thought.”
Other popular phrases are linked to “mojar la oreja” (when giving a warning or achieving a victory over someone) or “tugged ears” (a challenge): “The Argentine tennis player wet the Spaniard's ear and took the first set” , “That boy deserves a pull on his ears” .
The surname Oreja
We cannot overlook the fact that Oreja is a surname. Thus, in Spain there are important political figures who have had that name, such as Jaime Mayor Oreja , who was Minister of the Interior and who is part of the Popular Party (PP) .
Also worth mentioning is Marcelino Oreja Aguirre , who was a member of the Cortes as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs during the time that Adolfo Suárez was President of the Government.
A Spanish band
In the musical field, it is worth highlighting the existence of the group “La Oreja de Van Gogh” . This is a pop band that started its journey in 1996. “El 28” , “Cuéntame al oreja” , “Puedes contar conmigo” and “La niña que llora en tus fiestas” are some of the most important songs that it has released to the market so far.
Awards such as MTV Europe and Latin Grammy are on the shelves of this band that in its early years had Amaia Montero as its singer. However, since 2007 she began a solo career, while at the front of the group she was replaced by Leire Martínez . This is a young girl from Guipuzcoa, who rose to fame as a contestant on the Spanish version of the music show Factor X.
Other uses of the concept of ear
We must not forget that "ore" is the name given to each of the handles on a vessel.
Lastly, an ear is the qualifier given to a person who is a gossip or who acts as an informant : "The detective has an ear inside the mafia organization."