From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!seismo!rocheste!stuart
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Title: Bi- vs. Semi- Usage
Article-I.D.: rocheste.400
Posted: Tue Jan 11 18:38:40 1983
Received: Thu Jan 13 07:17:05 1983

I'm afraid that I don't agree that "common usage" should be allowed
to give bimonthly (-weekly, etc) two meanings. 

The prefix "bi" brings the meaning *"two"*. The prefix "semi" brings the
meaning *"half"*. Similarly, "hemi" and "demi" denote half or partial
properties. This comparision makes clear the difference between 
"every two .." and "twice a ..".  They are reciprocal!

To confuse a publication which is issued every two months with one which
is issued every half month is a mistake. This is not a matter of local 
usage, dialectism, jargon, slang or current idiom. The only way bimonthly
can legitimately come to mean "twice a month" is if we come to accept
"bi" as a prefix denoting "twice a ..." rather than "every two ...".

There are some things which should be taught more widely than they are
taught. That the component pieces of words often indicate some qualities
denoted by the whole is an unappreciated fact. 

						Stu Friedberg