mid-60s
UK[ˌmɪd ˈsɪksti z]US[ˌmɪd ˈsɪksti z]
n
The period of time from approximately 1964 to 1966.
n
The age range from approximately 64 to 66 years old.
Morpheme Breakdown
mid
60
s
mid
middle
60
sixty
s
plural suffix
Etymology
The term "mid-60s" is a modern English compound formed by transparently combining existing linguistic elements. The combining form "mid-", with its ancient Proto-Germanic root 'midja-' (middle), is prefixed to the numeral "sixty", which itself descends from the Old English 'sixtig', a decimal construction common in Germanic languages. The plural suffix "-s" is then appended, a grammatical feature inherited from Proto-Indo-European. This logical construction follows a straightforward pattern in English for specifying the central portion of any numbered sequence, applying equally to calendar years and a person's age. Its meaning is entirely compositional, deriving directly from the sum of its parts without metaphorical shift.
Analysis
Structure: mid (middle) + 60 (sixty) + s (plural suffix)
- mid: From Old English 'midd', meaning "middle". In this compound, it functions as a combining form to denote the central part of a range.
- 60: The numeral "sixty", from Old English 'sixtig', a compound of 'six' and the suffix '-tig' (group of ten). It specifies the decade or age range.
- s: A common English plural suffix, indicating the plural form of the numeral, thus referring to the years or ages within that decade (e.g., 1964, 1965, 1966).
Examples
The British music scene in the mid-60s was dominated by the rise of rock and roll.
My grandfather retired in his mid-60s to travel the world.
That iconic car model was first introduced in the mid-60s and quickly became a classic.