semester
Meaning
one of the two periods that the school or college year is divided into, especially in the us.
Structure
Usage
the fall semester begins in september.
she is taking five courses this semester.
final exams are held at the end of each semester.
Etymology
the word 'semester' has a direct and logical numerical origin. it entered english from german 'semester', which itself was borrowed from latin 'semestris', meaning 'of six months'. this latin term is a compound of 'sex' (six) and 'mensis' (month). originally describing a period of half a year, its meaning narrowed in an academic context. in german universities, the academic year was historically divided into two six-month periods, and this system and its terminology were adopted into english, where 'semester' now specifically denotes one of the two main divisions of an academic year.
Analysis
se: from latin 'sex', meaning 'six'. mester: from latin 'mensis', meaning 'month', via a germanic form.