mid-90
UK[ˌmɪd ˈnaɪnti fɑːvz]US[ˌmɪd ˈnaɪnti faɪvz]
n
The period of time roughly in the middle of the decade of the 1990s, typically referring to the years 1994, 1995, and 1996.
Etymology
The term "mid-90s" is a modern English compound formed by combining the prefix "mid-", of Old English origin, with the clipped numeral "90s". The prefix "mid-" has been used since Old English to denote the middle point of something, such as in "midday" or "midway". When applied to a decade, it follows a logical and productive pattern in English for specifying a central portion of a time period (e.g., mid-century, mid-June). The construction leverages the established grammatical function of "mid-" as a combining form and the conventional representation of a decade with a numeral followed by an 's', creating a concise and universally understood reference to the middle years of the 1990s.
Analysis
This is a compound numeral phrase. 'Mid' is a prefix from Old English 'mid' meaning "with, together with, among". '90s' is a clipped form of "nineties", referring to the years from 1990 to 1999, with 's' indicating the plural. The hyphen connects the prefix to the numeral.
Examples
The internet became widely accessible to the public in the mid-90s.
Grunge music was at the peak of its popularity around the mid-90s.
Many iconic sitcoms from the mid-90s are still enjoyed in syndication today.