An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A thought experiment in special relativity, according to which if one of a pair of twins (A) remains on Earth, and the other (B) travels at a speed near the speed of light, B will be younger than A upon returning to Earth.
In fact there is no paradox, because the two perspectives, A and B’s, are actually not completely symmetric. There is no fixed time difference between the events, and different observers experience different intervals of time between the same two events. In fact, B returns younger than A because only B travels in a non-inertial (accelerating) reference frame. From A’s point of view, B experiences time dilation, but from B’s point of view the distance traveled is shortened because of length contraction.

If B leaves in the year 2000 and returns in 2020, for A 20 years have elapsed. For B it depends on his travel speed. If has has moved as fast as 86% of the speed of light for him 10 years have passed. If his speed has been 99.5% of the speed of light the travel duration for him has been 2 years.
This effect has been verified experimentally by measurements with atomic clocks.

Etymology (EN): Twin M.E.; O.E. twinn; cf. O.N. tvinnr, O.Dan. tvinling, Du. tweeling, Ger. zwillung; → paradox.

Etymology (PE): Pârâdaxš, → paradox; hamzâdhâ, plural of hamzâd “twin,” literally “born together,” from ham- “together” → syn- + zâd “born,” from zâdan “to bring forth, give birth” (Mid.Pers. zâtan; Av. zan- “to bear, give birth to a child, be born,” infinitive zazāite, zāta- “born;” cf. Skt. janati “begets, bears,”
janitár “progenitor, father;” Gk. genetor “progenitor;” L. gignere “to beget,” nasci “to be born,” as above, PIE base *gen- “to give birth, beget”).