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Sparteye, I would construe "semi-weekly" to mean at half-week intervals, or something.
As would I, and the writers of the American Heritage and Random House dictionaries. I offer "semiweekly" and "fortnightly" as complements, not synonyms.
I suspect that the confused use of the "bi" terms comes from people variously understanding the "bi" part to be "twice" (it happens twice in the designated period) or "two" (it happens every two of the designated period). The former are more on target with original meaning, but the latter are sufficiently numerous that the dual meanings have been established.
As to "biennial", I've always readily distinguished the meaning from "biannual", and I'm wishing I was near my etymological dictionaries right now, so I could chase down the history of the distinction between "annual" and "ennial", since my AHD is only telling me that "ennial" derives from L "annus", which gets us nowhere in the end.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted Bi? Blondegirl 04/27/05 03:16 PM Re: Bi? Sparteye 04/27/05 05:18 PM Re: Bi? Elizabeth Creith 04/27/05 07:13 PM Re: Bi? wsieber 04/28/05 04:36 AM Re: Bi? Sparteye 04/28/05 01:58 PM Re: Bi? Buffalo Shrdlu 04/28/05 02:02 PM Re: Bi? maverick 04/28/05 03:58 PM Re: on the dock Buffalo Shrdlu 04/28/05 04:11 PM Re: on the dock maverick 04/29/05 03:32 PM No googlewhack here... AnnaStrophic 04/29/05 03:38 PM Re: No googlewhack here... tsuwm 04/30/05 03:44 PM Re: Bi? TEd Remington 04/27/05 07:18 PM Re: Bi? inselpeter 04/27/05 08:19 PM Re: Bi? Saranita 04/27/05 09:24 PM There has to be a digitalis post TEd Remington 04/27/05 09:36 PM Re: Bi? inselpeter 04/27/05 09:54 PM
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