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In English, we have

  • 7 days → a week
  • 14/15 days → a fortnight
  • 30/31 days → a month
  • 365 days → a year

Is there any word for six months? Not half a year, or biannually (which is linked to a main event). I need a specific term that can be used without a ‘crutch’ word.

The closest I've found is the word semester. But that's not right either.

Like a concrete fact or a universal truth, e.g. the sun rises in the east. The expression half a year ago could refer to any time, in respect to the specified event. What I would like is a term that fills this gap.

Every year has two _____

Half a year (in a sentence, e.g. either make a random sentence with half a year that is a present perfect, or consider any similar ones, such as biannually) is not a single-word and it is ambiguous.

Also, if that word doesn't exist in the English vocabulary, I would like to know if any other language has such a word.

Mari-Lou A
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Annedy
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  • Semester only relates to school terms. They can be of varying lengths, often 16 weeks, which is less than half of a year (26 weeks). – Catija May 26 '15 at 09:27
  • @Catija: MW also gives it as "period of six months". It means six months_ (from Latin) and I have seen it used outside academia as well. – oerkelens May 26 '15 at 09:33
  • even if t's a word from some other language like a french or russian word, it's cool. I just need a word for that. I know semester is the only one we've got, as far as current day english goes. – Annedy May 26 '15 at 09:52
  • Assume I'm writing a fairytale of sorts,...you know, where, once a ....., the king would do whatever. I have my reasons for wanting this word. .............. and I just saw this one...the Friedman Unit. Apparently it was coined pretty recently.......If you have any more, in different languages too....I'd LOVE to know. – Annedy May 26 '15 at 10:01
  • Assume I'm writing a fairytale of sorts,...you know, where, once a ....., the king would do whatever. I have my reasons for wanting this word. .............. and I just saw this one...the Friedman Unit (It has a negative conotation, though. Something about Iraq) . Apparently it was coined pretty recently.......If you have any more, in different languages too....I'd LOVE to know. – Annedy May 26 '15 at 10:07
  • Moe, datteba.....I meant it like an assumption. I'm not writing one. It's like an explanation in case some thinkers need one.......I know about the solstice bit...but it just sounds like im some gook from the dark age past – Annedy May 26 '15 at 10:21
  • Twice a year may be an option in the sentence you mentioned (I added it to my answer as well). – oerkelens May 26 '15 at 10:45

4 Answers4

4

How about "half-year":

a period of 6 months

Catija
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4

A semester seems the word you are looking for.

Merriam-Webster:

  1. a period of six months

The academic use is, as mentioned, probably more prevalent though (half an academic year).

Economically, we often use quarters, making a six month period simply two quarters: How did the company do in the last two quarters of last year?

Merriam-Webster again:

4 : the fourth part of a measure of time: as
a : one of a set of four 3-month divisions of a year <business was up during the third quarter>

As you mention this example in your comment:

once a ....., the king would do whatever

I would slightly change it to

twice a year, the king would do whatever

Although that does not necessarily mean it happens every six months, the usual implication would be that the action happens roughly every six months.

oerkelens
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1

Assuming you want to avoid the uncommonly used "semester" for six months, we do have a fairly common adjective: biannual. Creative reorganization can work it into any sentence.

The used car lot always has a biannual sale.
I like to get a good deep-tissue massage biannually.

There is also a less-used synonym for biannual: semiannual. However, both words are useless for describing a length of time, since those must be nouns.

Cord
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0

If you're writing a fairy-tale, you might want to use terms that are associated with the mystical and magical - I'd suggest something like:

"With the arrival of the solstices..." (which would be twice a year.)

Oldbag
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