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CraiginNJ
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:53 am
Post subject: word for "3 times per year"? |
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Is there a word that means 3 times per year? (I am trying to find the
right term for the 3 times/year review meetings we hold.)
We all know semiannually is 2/year, quarterly is 4/year, but 3/year???
I've seen quadmonthly used; isn't there a better term based on a latin
prefix that means "one-third"? (I thought maybe something related to
tertiary, but that relates to being 3rd, not one-third.)
Craig in NJ |
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Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:05 am
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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On 08 Jun 2005, CraiginNJ wrote
| Quote: | Is there a word that means 3 times per year? (I am trying to find
the right term for the 3 times/year review meetings we hold.)
We all know semiannually is 2/year, quarterly is 4/year, but
3/year???
I've seen quadmonthly used; isn't there a better term based on a
latin prefix that means "one-third"? (I thought maybe something
related to tertiary, but that relates to being 3rd, not
one-third.)
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I think I raised this at one point -- when I was working somewhere that
also had a 3-meetings-per-year schedule -- and the upshot was that we
should give up trying to use a Latinate prefix in favour of the
unambiguous "thrice-yearly".
--
Cheers, Harvey
Canada for 30 years; S England since 1982.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van) |
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CraiginNJ
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:12 am
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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"Thrice-yearly" sounds pretty good to me.
FWIW, I think I'll adopt these abbreviations for the meetings: 2005 T1,
2005 T2, 2005 T3, etc. (Analogous to 2005 Q1, 2005 Q2, etc. for
quarterly meetings or 2005 H1, 2005 H2, etc. for semi-annual meetings).
Thanks for the fast response.
Craig in NJ |
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Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:36 am
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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On 08 Jun 2005, CraiginNJ wrote
| Quote: | "Thrice-yearly" sounds pretty good to me.
FWIW, I think I'll adopt these abbreviations for the meetings:
2005 T1, 2005 T2, 2005 T3, etc. (Analogous to 2005 Q1, 2005 Q2,
etc. for quarterly meetings or 2005 H1, 2005 H2, etc. for
semi-annual meetings).
|
Sounds good to me: if anyone wonders, they'll soon learn what it
stands for!
--
Cheers, Harvey
Canada for 30 years; S England since 1982.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van) |
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Candy Cane
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:37 am
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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"CraiginNJ" <craig@uthe.net> wrote in message
news:1118264030.005020.297380@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Is there a word that means 3 times per year? (I am trying to find the
right term for the 3 times/year review meetings we hold.)
We all know semiannually is 2/year, quarterly is 4/year, but 3/year???
I've seen quadmonthly used; isn't there a better term based on a latin
prefix that means "one-third"? (I thought maybe something related to
tertiary, but that relates to being 3rd, not one-third.)
Craig in NJ
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Tri-annual or tri-annually.
For example: This is the second of our tri-annual newsletter.
Our newsletter is published tri-annually. |
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Lars Eighner
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:44 am
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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In our last episode,
<1118265145.569702.306200@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>, the
lovely and talented CraiginNJ broadcast on alt.usage.english:
| Quote: | "Thrice-yearly" sounds pretty good to me.
|
I agree. "Triannual" seems to have some following and is used
in the title of publications by some educational institutions
and governments, which do seem to mean "three times a year."
Unfortunately, many people are likely to think it means "once
every three years."
| Quote: | FWIW, I think I'll adopt these abbreviations for the meetings: 2005 T1,
2005 T2, 2005 T3, etc. (Analogous to 2005 Q1, 2005 Q2, etc. for
quarterly meetings or 2005 H1, 2005 H2, etc. for semi-annual meetings).
Thanks for the fast response.
Craig in NJ
|
--
Lars Eighner eighner@io.com http://www.larseighner.com/
Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. --Horace Mann |
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Mark Brader
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:08 am
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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"Craig" writes:
| Quote: | "Thrice-yearly" sounds pretty good to me.
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To me is sounds archaic. I'd just go with "every 4 months" if that
is in fact the case, and "3 times a year" if they're not that regular.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "I wish to God these calculations had been
msb@vex.net | executed by steam!" -- Charles Babbage, 1821 |
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Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:13 am
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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On 08 Jun 2005, Mark Brader wrote
| Quote: | "Craig" writes:
"Thrice-yearly" sounds pretty good to me.
To me is sounds archaic.
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I don't think anyone I work with would think it archaic -- perhaps it's
a pondial thing?
| Quote: | I'd just go with "every 4 months" if that is in fact the case, and
"3 times a year" if they're not that regular.
|
--
Cheers, Harvey
Canada for 30 years; S England since 1982.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van) |
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Bill Bonde ('by a commodi
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 5:03 am
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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Lars Eighner wrote:
| Quote: |
In our last episode,
1118265145.569702.306200@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>, the
lovely and talented CraiginNJ broadcast on alt.usage.english:
"Thrice-yearly" sounds pretty good to me.
I agree. "Triannual" seems to have some following and is used
in the title of publications by some educational institutions
and governments, which do seem to mean "three times a year."
Unfortunately, many people are likely to think it means "once
every three years."
A biathlon doesn't mean you can use skis or a gun. Similarly, I would |
think that the 'bi' in 'biannual' should mean two times in a year and
not one time every two years, although the dictionary supports both
meanings. These issues should be decided on for one prefix and stuck
with for 'tri' and above.
--
"What do you value in your bulldogs? Gripping, is it not? It's their
nature? It's why you breed them? It's so with men. I will not give in
because I oppose it. Not my pride, not my spleen, nor any other of my
appetites, but *I* do. Is there in the midst of all this muscle no
single sinew that serves no appetite of Norfolk's but is just Norfolk?
Give that some exercise. Because, as you stand, you'll go before your
Maker ill-conditioned. He'll think that somewhere along your pedigree, a
bitch got over the wall."
-+Paul Scofield, "A Man For All Seasons" |
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Matti Lamprhey
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:31 pm
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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"Bill Bonde ('more silly garbage')" <jun@nuj.net> wrote...
| Quote: | Lars Eighner wrote:
CraiginNJ broadcast on alt.usage.english:
"Thrice-yearly" sounds pretty good to me.
I agree. "Triannual" seems to have some following and is used
in the title of publications by some educational institutions
and governments, which do seem to mean "three times a year."
Unfortunately, many people are likely to think it means "once
every three years."
A biathlon doesn't mean you can use skis or a gun. Similarly, I would
think that the 'bi' in 'biannual' should mean two times in a year and
not one time every two years, although the dictionary supports both
meanings. These issues should be decided on for one prefix and stuck
with for 'tri' and above.
|
The distinction between biannual (twice yearly) and biennial (every two
years) is widely acknowledged. So triannual it should be.
Matti |
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Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:48 pm
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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On 09 Jun 2005, Matti Lamprhey wrote
| Quote: | "Bill Bonde ('more silly garbage')" <jun@nuj.net> wrote...
Lars Eighner wrote:
CraiginNJ broadcast on alt.usage.english:
"Thrice-yearly" sounds pretty good to me.
I agree. "Triannual" seems to have some following and is used
in the title of publications by some educational institutions
and governments, which do seem to mean "three times a year."
Unfortunately, many people are likely to think it means "once
every three years."
A biathlon doesn't mean you can use skis or a gun. Similarly, I
would think that the 'bi' in 'biannual' should mean two times in
a year and not one time every two years, although the dictionary
supports both meanings. These issues should be decided on for one
prefix and stuck with for 'tri' and above.
The distinction between biannual (twice yearly) and biennial
(every two years) is widely acknowledged.
|
It is indeed -- but the use of "biannual" nonetheless still has the
potential to create confusion. Indeed, when I've seen it used there's
usually been a parenthetical addition to clarify the meaning.
That shouldn't be necessary, but it is, and I see the same problem with
"triannual". (We know what it means, and everyone should take it to
mean that -- but just in case they don't it will usually have "(three
times per year)" added to it.)
Personal mileage will differ, but I avoid the problem by using "twice-
yearly", and by analogy would use "thrice-yearly".
--
Cheers, Harvey
Canada for 30 years; S England since 1982.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van) |
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Lars Eighner
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:07 pm
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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In our last episode,
<Xns96706E0B8EF6Bwhhvans@62.253.162.204>,
the lovely and talented Harvey Van Sickle
broadcast on alt.usage.english:
| Quote: | That shouldn't be necessary, but it is, and I see the same problem with
"triannual". (We know what it means, and everyone should take it to
mean that -- but just in case they don't it will usually have "(three
times per year)" added to it.)
|
Well, this is just it. The argument that the terms ought to
mean one thing, and even that they do mean that to properly
educated people is all well and good, but if a significant
number of people are not sure, the arguments are not of much
help to those who wish to communicate with clarity to as many
people as possible. Yes, there does not seem to be much doubt
about the "-ennials," but the "-annuals," "-weeklies," and
"-monthlies" are problematic.
| Quote: | Personal mileage will differ, but I avoid the problem by using "twice-
yearly", and by analogy would use "thrice-yearly".
|
--
Lars Eighner eighner@io.com http://www.larseighner.com/
"Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until
drops of blood form on your forehead." --Gene Fowler |
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Wood Avens
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:15 pm
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 09:48:57 GMT, Harvey Van Sickle
<harvey.news@ntlworld.com> wrote:
| Quote: | On 09 Jun 2005, Matti Lamprhey wrote
The distinction between biannual (twice yearly) and biennial
(every two years) is widely acknowledged.
It is indeed -- but the use of "biannual" nonetheless still has the
potential to create confusion. Indeed, when I've seen it used there's
usually been a parenthetical addition to clarify the meaning.
|
"Bi-annual" is used* in the gardening world for plants which flower
(and then die) in their second year, so people who are used to the
term in this context might reasonably wonder about a biannual meeting.
(*I assume it's still used. I haven't bought a new gardeing book for
years.)
--
Katy Jennison
spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @ |
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Bill Bonde ('by a commodi
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:58 pm
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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Wood Avens wrote:
| Quote: |
On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 09:48:57 GMT, Harvey Van Sickle
harvey.news@ntlworld.com> wrote:
On 09 Jun 2005, Matti Lamprhey wrote
The distinction between biannual (twice yearly) and biennial
(every two years) is widely acknowledged.
It is indeed -- but the use of "biannual" nonetheless still has the
potential to create confusion. Indeed, when I've seen it used there's
usually been a parenthetical addition to clarify the meaning.
"Bi-annual" is used* in the gardening world for plants which flower
(and then die) in their second year, so people who are used to the
term in this context might reasonably wonder about a biannual meeting.
The dictionary, as I had suggested, goes as far as to give both meanings |
for 'biannual':
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=biannual
#begin quote
bi·an·nu·al Audio pronunciation of "biannual" ( P ) Pronunciation
Key (b-ny-l)
adj.
1. Happening twice each year; semiannual.
2. Occurring every two years; biennial.
#end quote
--
"He's asking if you killed Freddie Miles and then killed Dickie
Greenleaf."
"No, I did not kill Freddie Miles and then kill Dickie Greenleaf."
-+Thomas Ripley using Bill Clinton logic, "The Talented Mr Ripley" |
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CraiginNJ
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 4:02 am
Post subject: Re: word for "3 times per year"? |
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Thanks, everyone.
Yes, it does look like tri-annual *should* be the proper term even
though many people think the only definition of bi-annual is its
every-2-years definition.
"3 times a year" seems difficult to use the same way. E.g., "Our
second 3-times-a-year meeting will be held this Tuesday" vs. "Our
second tri-annual meeting will be held this Tuesday" vs. "Our second
thrice-yearly meeting will be held this Tuesday."
Unfortunately, if I use tri-annual around my office, a number of people
will tell me (or think) I'm using the wrong term. It seems advisable
to avoid using a word that some executive might see as evidence of my
ignorance even though he's/she's the one who doesn't understand.
Thanks again, everyone! I really appreciated the discussion.
Craig in NJ |
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