bi-weekly
UK[ˌbaɪˈwiːkli]US[ˌbaɪˈwiːkli]
adj
Happening or appearing every two weeks or twice a week.
adv
Every two weeks or twice a week.
n
A periodical that appears every two weeks or twice a week.
Morpheme Breakdown
bi
week
ly
bi
two/double
week
period of seven days
ly
adjective/adverb suffix
Etymology
The word 'biweekly' is a modern English compound formed by combining a Latin numerical prefix with a native Germanic noun. The prefix 'bi-', derived from Latin 'bis' (twice), was adopted into English to indicate frequency or duality. It is attached to 'week', a word of Proto-Germanic origin referring to the standard seven-day cycle. The suffix '-ly', of Old English origin, converts the combination into an adjective or adverb. The resulting term logically describes something pertaining to a two-week cycle or occurring twice within a week, though this inherent ambiguity between "every two" and "twice per" is a noted feature of English usage.
Analysis
Structure: bi (two/double) + week (period of seven days) + ly (adjective/adverb suffix)
- bi: From Latin 'bis', meaning 'twice' or 'double'. A numerical prefix.
- week: From Old English 'wice', meaning a period of seven days. The core noun.
- ly: From Old English '-lic', an adjectival and adverbial suffix meaning 'having the qualities of' or 'occurring at intervals of'.
Examples
The team holds biweekly meetings to discuss project progress.
The magazine is published biweekly, on the first and fifteenth of each month.
Employees are paid on a biweekly schedule.