loreille

L'oreille, the French term for the ear, refers to the sensory organ responsible for hearing and balance. The ear is divided into three parts: the external ear (pavilion or auricle and the external auditory canal), the middle ear (tympanic cavity containing the ossicles—the malleus, incus, and stapes—and the Eustachian tube), and the inner ear (the cochlea for hearing and the vestibular system for balance). Sound waves are collected by the auricle, conducted through the external canal to the tympanic membrane, and converted into vibrations transmitted by the ossicles to the cochlea, where hair cells transduce them into neural signals. The vestibular organs detect head movement and help maintain balance. The external canal also produces cerumen, which protects the canal.

Common clinical topics include otitis externa (inflammation of the external canal) and otitis media, tinnitus, and vertigo. Diagnostic tools include otoscopy, audiometry, and tympanometry.

Etymology: the word derives from Old French oreille, from Latin auris, with phonetic changes over time. In idiomatic French, expressions such as se faire l’oreille (to become used to something or to listen attentively) illustrate cultural usage.

In other languages, the word for ear varies (for example, oreja in Spanish, ohr in German), reflecting a common anatomical concept across languages. See also ear, audiology, balance system.