second-quarter
UK[ˌsekənd ˈkwɔːtə]US[ˌsekənd ˈkwɔːrtər]
adj
Relating to or occurring in the second three-month period of a financial or calendar year.
n
The second three-month period of a financial or calendar year.
Morpheme Breakdown
second
quarter
second
ordinal
quarter
period
Etymology
The compound "second-quarter" is a modern financial and calendrical term built from two ancient numerical concepts. "Second" originates from the Latin sequi (to follow), with secundus meaning "the following one," establishing its ordinal sense. "Quarter" derives from the Latin quartus (fourth), reflecting the division of a whole into four equal parts. When combined in English, these morphemes logically construct the meaning of "the following one of four equal periods," specifically denoting the second of the four segments into which a year is conventionally divided for reporting and planning purposes.
Analysis
Structure: second (ordinal) + quarter (period)
- second: From Latin secundus (following, next), via Old French. Functions as an ordinal numeral.
- quarter: From Latin quartarius (a fourth part), via Old French quartier. Functions as a noun denoting a division or period.
Examples
The company's second-quarter earnings exceeded analysts' expectations.
We are planning a major product launch for the second quarter.
Second-quarter sales showed a significant improvement over the first quarter.