Where does “half-yearly” come from?

half-yearly (English) comes from English half-year, from English half, from Middle English half, from Old English healf, from Proto-Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic halbaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

half-yearly (English): Of which there are two in a year; semiannual;...

Definitions

  1. Of which there are two in a year; semiannual;...

Ancestry of “half-yearly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishhalf-yearThe period of time equal to half a year
2EnglishhalfConsisting of a half; Consisting of some...
3Middle Englishhalfhalf
4Old Englishhealfside; half; partly
5Proto-Germanic*halb
6Proto-Germanichalbazhalf
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
8Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-Every word from Proto-Germanic halbaz
half-yearly — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer