Editing 1602: Linguistics Club
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A "{{Wiktionary|sesquiannual}}" meeting is one that occurs one and a half times every year; equivalently, 3 times every 2 years, or once every 8 months (this could be taken even more literally by having one meeting during each year, and another meeting which spans midnight every other New Year's Eve, thus having a one and a half meetings each year). | A "{{Wiktionary|sesquiannual}}" meeting is one that occurs one and a half times every year; equivalently, 3 times every 2 years, or once every 8 months (this could be taken even more literally by having one meeting during each year, and another meeting which spans midnight every other New Year's Eve, thus having a one and a half meetings each year). | ||
| − | The term comes from the Latin prefix "{{Wiktionary|sesqui-}}", which means "one and a half", and the root word "{{Wiktionary|annual}}", which equates to "…times per one year". The root word "annual" is commonly confused with the suffix "{{Wiktionary|-ennial}}", meaning "one time per x years." In particular, “sesquiannual” should not be confused with “{{Wiktionary|sesquiennial}}”, meaning "one time per one and a half years" or every one and a half years (18 months). Note that the Wiktionary entry on sesquiannual has both meanings listed – both 8 month and 18 months intervals. This is an extension of the common confusion between "biannual," meaning "twice a year", and "biennial", meaning "once every two years". Compare with the {{w|Sesquicentennial Exposition}} celebrating the first 1½ centuries of the United States, and "sesqui''bi''centennial", being 'half and two' hundred years, i.e. 250 | + | The term comes from the Latin prefix "{{Wiktionary|sesqui-}}", which means "one and a half", and the root word "{{Wiktionary|annual}}", which equates to "…times per one year". The root word "annual" is commonly confused with the suffix "{{Wiktionary|-ennial}}", meaning "one time per x years." In particular, “sesquiannual” should not be confused with “{{Wiktionary|sesquiennial}}”, meaning "one time per one and a half years" or every one and a half years (18 months). Note that the Wiktionary entry on sesquiannual has both meanings listed – both 8 month and 18 months intervals. This is an extension of the common confusion between "biannual," meaning "twice a year", and "biennial", meaning "once every two years". Compare with the {{w|Sesquicentennial Exposition}} celebrating the first 1½ centuries of the United States, and "sesqui''bi''centennial", being 'half and two' hundred years, i.e. 250. |
The joke suggests that only a competent linguist could understand the word “sesquiannual”. One reason for this is that the prefix “sesqui-” is rare, so those who know its meaning are likely to be linguists. Another is that a competent linguist should be able to distinguish between “sesquiannual” and “sesquiennial”. | The joke suggests that only a competent linguist could understand the word “sesquiannual”. One reason for this is that the prefix “sesqui-” is rare, so those who know its meaning are likely to be linguists. Another is that a competent linguist should be able to distinguish between “sesquiannual” and “sesquiennial”. | ||
