two-and-a-half-hour
two-and-a-half-hour
UK[ˌtuː ən ə ˌhɑːf ˈaʊə(r)]US[ˌtu ən ə ˌhæf ˈaʊər]
adj
Lasting for two hours and thirty minutes.
Etymology
The word is a modern English compound, built from fundamental Germanic and Old English elements. "Two" derives from Old English twā, from Proto-Germanic twai, tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root dwo- meaning "two". "And" comes from Old English and, ond, meaning "thereupon, next". "Half" originates from Old English healf, meaning "side, part", from Proto-Germanic halbaz. "Hour" entered English via Anglo-French houre and Old French hore, from Latin hōra and Greek hōrā, meaning "season, time of day". The compound's logic is purely arithmetic and descriptive, directly concatenating these elements to specify a precise duration, a common pattern in English for creating adjectival phrases.
Analysis
This is a compound adjective formed by combining the cardinal number "two", the conjunction "and", the indefinite article "a", the fraction "half", and the unit of time "hour" with hyphens. It functions as a single lexical unit modifying a noun.
Examples
We sat through a two-and-a-half-hour directors' cut of the film.
The interview process included a two-and-a-half-hour written examination.
She prepared a two-and-a-half-hour lecture on marine biology.