Bi-bi Confusion, See Ya Later Semi-clarity!

Bi means “two” and semi means “half.” A publication that comes out two times a year is both biannual and semiannual (they’re synonyms because if you write biannual it means two times a year and if you write semiannual it means every half-year, or – tada! – two times a year). But then again, maybe not. Things get dicey pretty quickly. When you write bimonthly, for instance. Is that twice a month or every other month? Twenty-four times a year or only six? Beats me. Things get dicier still if you presume it to mean 24 and assume your readers will agree. But presume not that others will assume what you presume they’ll assume. As the song says, it ain't nessa, ain't nessa, ain't nessa, ain't nessa, it ain't necessarily so. Ok, you think to yourself, let's see what the messieurs Merriam and Webster think. Yikes – first definition, “occurring every two months”; second definition, “occurring twice a month.” Still, follow their lead and you’re just asking for trouble, and that starts with T and that rhymes with P and well, you know where that’s going to lead you. The best advice? Skip the bi and semi thing altogether. Just write “twice a year” or “every other week.” When you do, everyone – that is, you and your readers – will be on the same page. You’ll be confident your readers know exactly what you mean. Your readers will feel confident they’ve received the right information. No one will be disappointed. Everyone will know how often the meeting is. No one will suffer unmet expectations. Good writing isn’t solely about using the words available to you, it’s about using the right words available to communicate precise information. And that's necessarily so.

Comments

[Kate Rowlands]

If you're referring to something that occurs every two weeks, do as speakers of
"English" English do and call it a fortnight. End of confusion :)