Etymology and Breakdown of the Word

It's Marian Webster's Word of the Day for july fourth . Today's word is Semi quincentenial spelled S E M I Q N N EN . Semi quincentennial is a noun . It refers to a two hundred fiftieth anniversary or its celebration. The word can also be used as an adjective to describe something related to associated with such an anniversary or its celebration , as in semi quin centennial festivities . Here's the word used in a sentence from USA Today . july fourth, twenty twenty six marks the nation's semiin Quentn Cennial, its two hundred fiftieth birthday since the signing of the Declaration of Independence . Everyone knows that if you stick a feather in your hat for, say, a fourth of July celebration, it's called macaroni . But what does a Yankee Doodle dandy call the celebration itself ? Specifically when it marks the two hundred fiftieth year since the nation's founding, such a special day , calls for a special word, and Semiquin Centennial fits the bill, as it does for any anniversary of the same esteemed and venerable vintage . If the words mouthful of seven syllables overwhelms , it's simple to break down . The prefix semi here means half in quantity or value , while quincentennial refers to a whopping five hundred th anniversary or its celebration. Quin comes from the Latin word quinque, meaning five, and centennial comes in part from the Latin can , meaning hundred Hence a semi quin centennial is celebrated precisely halfway on route to a quin centennial. May knowing this etymology be a feather in your camp at the Semi Quin Centennial Barbecue . With your Word of the day, I'm Peter Sakalowski . Visit Meriamwebster. com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups