Etymologically
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semestris

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [seːˈmeːs.trɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [seˈmɛs.tris][1]

Forms

sēmēstris (neuter sēmēstre); third-declension two-termination adjective[1] Also spelled sēmenstris, the form Wiktionary takes as its main spelling.[2][1] Ulpian and an inscription have sexmēstris.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin sex (“six”) + mēnsis (“month”), with the adjective ending -is.[2][1] De Vaan counts it among the words in which the cluster /ks/ was lost before a voiced consonant, with lengthening of the vowel, as in sēdecim (“sixteen”) and sēnī (“six each”).[3] Wiktionary compares mēnstruus (“monthly”).[1] The numeral goes back to Proto-Italic *seks and Proto-Indo-European *(s)ueks (“six”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Varro on.[3] In his work on farming Varro uses it of something lasting six months, such as the day of six months in the far north (sēmēstris diēs), and of things done twice a year or animals six months old.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Its senses are “lasting six months”, “recurring every six months” and “six months old”.[2] Cicero speaks of a reign of six months and Caesar of a command limited to six months;[4] Livy calls a general of six months' standing sēmēstris dux.[2][4] Inscriptions have a tribūnus sēmēstris, apparently a military tribune appointed for six months.[2] The neuter plural sēmēstria named the half-yearly published sets of the edicts of Marcus Aurelius, which Ulpian cites.[2] In Ecclesiastical Latin the neuter was also used as a noun for a period of six months.[5]

The adjective, in the phrase cursus sēmēstris, is the source of German Semester, from which English took semester in 1827.[6]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of a day lasting six months and of half-yearly shearing.[2][4][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a six-month reign.[4][7]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar speaks of a six-month command.[4][7]
  • 59 BC–AD 17 – Livy calls a general of six months' standing sēmēstris dux.[2][4][7]
  • before 223 AD – Ulpian cites the sēmēstria of Marcus Aurelius.[2][7]
  • 1827 – English borrows semester through German.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Lasting six months, of six months.[2][4]
  2. ## tribūnus sēmēstris: a military tribune apparently appointed for six months.[2]
  3. ## (of birds) staying six months of the year.[2]
  4. Happening every six months, half-yearly.[2][4]
  5. Six months old; of six months' standing.[2][4]

Noun

  1. (neuter plural) sēmēstria: the half-yearly collections of the edicts of Marcus Aurelius.[2][8]
  2. (Ecclesiastical Latin, neuter) A period of six months, a semester.[5]

Usage notes

A second sēmēstris, formed from sēmi- and mēnsis, meant “half-monthly”: Apuleius uses it of the full moon (lūna sēmēstris), and Ammianus has a similar phrase.[4][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ VoLat: Vocabolario della Lingua Latina (2018), Milan: Hoepli
  9. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn