Ring finger

Ring finger
The ring finger on this hand is circled (left hand).
Latin	digitus annularis

The ring finger is the fourth digit of the human hand, and the second most ulnar finger, located between the middle finger and the little finger. It is also called digitus medicinalis, the fourth finger, digitus annularis, digitus quartus, or digitus IV in anatomy.

Etymology

According to László A. Magyar, the names of the ring finger in many languages reflect an ancient belief that it is a magical finger. It is named after magic or rings, or called nameless (for example, in Chinese: 无名指, unnamed finger)^[1] In Sanskrit and other Indic languages, the name for the ring finger is Anamika ("nameless").^{[citation needed]}

The wedding ring

Main article: wedding ring

In Western cultures, a wedding ring is traditionally worn on the ring finger. This developed from the Roman "annulus pronubis" when the man gave a ring to the woman at the betrothal ceremony. According to tradition in some countries (derived from Roman belief), the wedding ring is worn on the left ring finger because the vein in the left ring finger, referred to as the vena amoris, was believed to be directly connected to the heart, a symbol of love. Blessing the wedding ring and putting it on the bride's finger dates from the 11th century. In medieval Europe, the Christian wedding ceremony placed the ring in sequence on the index, middle, and ring fingers of the left hand. The ring was then left on the ring finger. In a few European countries, the ring is worn on the left hand prior to marriage, then transferred to the right during the ceremony. For example, a Greek Orthodox bride wears the ring on the left hand prior to the ceremony, then moves it to the right hand after the wedding. In England, the 1549 Prayer Book declared "the ring shall be placed on the left hand". By the 17th and 18th centuries the ring could be found on any finger after the ceremony — even on the thumb.

In some Orthodox Christian countries, the wedding ring is worn on the ring finger of the right hand.^[2]

In a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, the groom places the ring on the bride's index finger, and not the ring finger; today the ring usually is moved to the ring finger after the ceremony and most Jewish grooms have adopted wearing a wedding ring. This tradition is because in Ancient Israel, at the time of the Talmud, Jews believed the index finger was the most prominent of fingers.

A wedding ring is not a traditional part of the religious Muslim wedding; wedding rings are not included in most Islamic countries. However, if a wedding ring is worn in an Islamic country, it may be worn on either the left (such is the custom in Iran) or the right ring finger. As opposed to the wedding ring, use of a ring to denote betrothal or engagement is quite prevalent in Muslim countries, especially those in West and South Asia.

In the Indian wedding tradition, the left hand is considered inauspicious. Hence the wedding ring is worn on the right hand.

Scientific study

• The ratio between index and ring finger is believed to be linked to exposure to the male hormone testosterone in the womb. On average, men tend to have longer ring fingers and women longer index fingers. The higher the testosterone, the greater the length of the ring finger and the more "masculine" the resulting child – whether male or female. The longest ring finger is known as the "Casanova pattern".^[3]
• In a study of stock traders, Cambridge University researchers found that the most successful had a relatively long ring finger. According to this study, the finger-length ratio was boosted by higher levels of testosterone in the womb during a crucial phase of gestation. Traders with long ring fingers made up to 11 times the earnings of their counterparts, the study found.^[4]
• Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley found the difference in the length between women's ring fingers and index fingers tend to be greater for lesbians than straight women. The same study also found that a greater difference in length of men's ring fingers and index fingers for gay men with several older brothers as compared to straight men.^[5]
• Scientists at the University of Bath found that children who had longer ring fingers are better with numbers-based subjects such as mathematics and physics, which are traditionally male favorites.
• Canadian researchers from the University of Alberta have found a correlation between length of the ring finger and levels of physical aggression – as would be expected in the most masculinised individuals.^[3]

References

1. ^ Magyar, László A. "Digitus Medicinalis — the Etymology of the Name" Actes du Congr. Intern. d'Hist. de Med. XXXII., Antwerpen. 175-179., 1990, retrieved September 2, 2009
2. ^ Why in the Orthodox tradition do we wear the wedding ring on the right hand?, antiochian.org
3. ^ ^{a b} Laurance, Jeremy (14 January 2009). "Success isn't written in the stars, it's in the length of your fingers". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/success-isnt-written-in-the-stars-its-in-the-length-of-your-fingers-1334251.html. Retrieved 28 May 2009. 
4. ^ Alleyne, Richard (13 January 2009). "Ring finger length linked to City stockbrokers' success, claim scientists". Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group Limited). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/4223545/Ring-finger-length-linked-to-City-stockbrokers-success-claim-scientists.html. 
5. ^ "A finger on sexuality". BBC News. 29 March 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/695142.stm. 

External links

• Online Ring Sizer
• Wedding rings in Germany - right or left, in German
• Archive of a 1998 article in a Flemish newspaper about the place of the wedding ring in the Low Countries