Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “semicentennial” come from?

semicentennial (English) comes from English centennial, from English -ál, from Middle English -al, from Old French -al, from Latin -ālis, from Proto-Italic -ālis.

semicentennial (English): Occurring every 50 years; A 50th anniversary

Definitions

  1. Occurring every 50 years; A 50th anniversary

Ancestry of “semicentennial”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcentennialRelating to, or associated with, the...
2English-ál—
3Middle English-al—
4Old French-alsuffix used to form adjectives from nouns
5Latin-ālis—
6Proto-Italic-ālis—
Every word from Proto-Italic -ālis →