half-century
UK[ˌhɑːf ˈsentʃəri]US[ˌhæf ˈsentʃəri]
n
A period of fifty years.
n
A score or total of fifty in a sport, especially in cricket.
Morpheme Breakdown
half
century
half
fifty
century
one hundred years
Etymology
The word 'half-century' is a transparent compound formed within Modern English from two native and borrowed elements. 'Half' originates from the Proto-Germanic halbaz, meaning "side" or "part", which evolved in Old English to denote one of two equal portions. 'Century' entered English via French from Latin 'centuria', a unit of one hundred, derived from 'centum' (hundred). The compound logically combines these meanings: 'half' modifies 'century' to specify precisely fifty, half of the hundred-year span. While 'century' often refers to a sequential hundred-year period in history, in 'half-century' the focus shifts to the duration or quantity itself, a usage extended metaphorically to sporting scores like a batsman's fifty runs in cricket.
Analysis
Structure: half (fifty) + century (one hundred years)
half: From Old English 'healf', meaning "side, part", and by extension "one of two equal parts". In this compound, it functions as a modifier meaning "fifty", which is half of one hundred.
century: From Latin 'centuria', meaning "group of one hundred", via Old French 'centurie'. In this compound, it functions as the base noun meaning "a period of one hundred years".
Examples
The invention of the telephone in the latter half-century revolutionized communication.
The veteran batsman celebrated a magnificent half-century before being dismissed.
Architectural styles can change significantly over the course of a half-century.