If not, the hyphen is probably unnecessary. Please correct me if Im wrong Original: Biweekly means once every two weeks or twice a week. Just remember one that you would never misuse, such as my favorite, a bicentennial. Did Jane Straus pass away on February 25, 2011? Actually, a fortnight is every fourteen nights. number of pages. The difference is that a semi-monthly publication is published 24 times in a year. Quite often it will depend on the context and the situation. Hyphenating doesnt make the meaning any clearer in these instances. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Biweekly DOES NOT MEAN twice a week. The fascinating story behind many people's favori Can you handle the (barometric) pressure? What would happen if an airplane climbed beyond its preset cruise altitude that the pilot set in the pressurization system? Here, the words in the phrase should stand on their own: "A similar incident occurred four and a half years later." (Compare "A similar incident occurred after a four-and-a-half-year interval.") According to Merriam-Webster online, momentarily can be defined as either for a moment or in a moment. We Americans use the latter definition while the former is the usage in Britain. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. It may not work for every situation but my aide memoir helps me (in most cases): If I were bilingual, would I be fluent in 2 languages or fluent in half a language? I suspect A historic is probably correct in America. To use the hyphenator, select desired hyphenation language, enter the word you want to hyphenate and press the hyphenate button. Does it mean two times per, as in two times per month, or does it mean every two, as in every two weeks? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. A. Can I say semi-biannual to mean twice every two times a year, so four times a year? Charlie, my oldest cousin, just got a job at the car wash. So if you need bimonthly or biweekly, you should leave some clues in your context to the sense of bi- you mean. But bi- means something that happens every other (week, month), or every two (weeks, months), while semi- indicates something that happens twice every (week, month) or every half (week, month). The nearest would be to refer to the end of the calendar month as month-end. Likewise, semiconscious means halfway or partially conscious. OR Teresa visits her parents in Manila once every two years. One word? When it comes to another word in the reader's list, however, both the OED and M-W agree with postdoctorate, although both prefer postdoctoral. At exactly what point does mis-use become okay? So, should we should pick the hyphenated option in these three examples? Are you saying it is either? Authorities like the Oxford English Dictionary strongly influence rules for hyphenating compounds. Material created by Jane Straus and GrammarBook.com. Rightly and wrongly, Ive typed an awful lot of hyphens in my time. she is 30-years-old. In addition, a biweekly publication is issued every two weeks and a bimonthly publication is issued every two months. When referring to an event that takes place at the end of the month, it is hyphenated as month-end. Thanks for the artivle, helped me. Instead of battle with biweeklyorsemiweekly, we will say every two weeks. Rather than wrestle with bimonthlyorsemimonthly, we will write twice a month.. Like it or not, the prefix bi- has taken on both meanings: every two and twice. But there are no hyphens in such . Meaning: I call my girlfriend one time only in a day. Hyphenated Compound Words List. ex-husband ex-member ex-coworker So, I will be with you momentarily in the US is if you wait a very short time I will be with you. Bi and semi are now often synonymous. Evolve is not necessarily an upward evolution. It is optional to hyphenate or not hyphenate the term month to month (or month-to-month).The word 'month to month' is a noun as a word for a type of. For that, it's singular (and usually hyphenated): This is a one-and-a-half-week course. In England Im with you now but Ive got to go.. 0 && stateHdr.searchDesk ? However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. That leaves semi to mean intervals of one-half units, or twice per unit. small-town charm. At the end of the month means in the final days of the month, so it is much more restrictive. Unfortunately, this is another example of how the language has evolved (or devolved). 5. You don't need any hyphens, and it's always nice to be consistent in your styling. The confusion is easy to explain if you think of it in terms of period and frequency and ambiguous association of the word parts. Unfortunately, medical science only has treatments but no cure for this disease. Hyphens are linkers, according to the AP Stylebook. There certainly are many valid arguments for prescriptivism, some of the foremost being in science where precision is paramount and in the business world where time is money and we dont have the time or money to waste in figuring out what someone means when they say, submit a bi-weekly report. But, in your quest for clarity, dont lose sight of how vital a living language is. Over time this confusion has become so widespread that the words biweekly, bimonthly, etc., have lost their utility. number of words. (one time). Here are a few examples: It can seem like the words in phrases like out of date and state of the art just belong together. Instead of battle withbiweeklyorsemiweekly, we will say every two weeks. Rather than wrestle withbimonthlyorsemimonthly, we will write twice a month.. I, for one, certainly hope that it does not. As stated earlier by Sebastian, his company does pay semimonthly (24 paychecks a year). Verb = no hyphen. Hyphens are often used to tell the ages of people and things. Appropriate grammar is now excessive. A 6 year discussion on this subject? Twice a week is SEMI-WEEKLY. It is interesting to note, from a historical viewpoint, the original meanings of either twice a week or every two weeks emerged around the same time 1865, although the meaning of twice a week is believed to predate every two weeks. And, if something Bimonthly is once every two months it does not mean twice a month. Every two weeks or twice a week? Maybe through the following explanation, someone on this page can solidify their use of at least the prefix bi- in their communications. As our blog states, bimonthly can mean once every two months or twice a month. We assume that the schedule for a tournament would be twice a month, but you should confirm with the person making the request. Month end is not a compound noun. If so. This highlights the subtle difference between the bi- and semi- prefix when applied to a temporal word. Also, you may see this word with a hyphen, semi-annual, or written as two words with a space between each, semi annual. If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page. The prefix bi- has taken on both meanings: every two and twice. (They no longer own a dairy farm.). Without hyphen: My son is three years old. 2. Nothing worse than getting the grammar wrong in a sarcastic reply to someone correcting another persons grammar. That is the problem though; it doesnt matter to enough people and the people for whom it does matter are seen as odd, compulsive or arrogant. If Bi means two, then wouldnt that mean two weeks are needed to create something thats bi-weekly? Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. (The Tyler Morning Telegraph), Just take the time to really enjoy it because it only happens once in a lifetime, he said. Ex- has several meanings as a prefix, and some do not require a hyphen. It's not interchangeable with other types of dashes. Bi vs. Semi (weekly, monthly, annually) | The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. Semimonthly means twice a month. A number plus abbreviation are always hyphenated. Your comments around accepting the fact that language has devolved concerns me as well some others. I cant determine if youre bi-wrong or semi-wrong. We may be evolving the language to two different prefixes to avoid confusion. I could see where hyphenating them might indicate the alternate association, but of course that assumes you know what the usual association is! Youre correct about the American meaning of momentarily. Even major newspapers and some popular authors who should know better have caught it. Shakespeare created many new words in the English language and following in his footsteps Ive created new grammatics. Here are the examples again for Tip #1 again, slightly re-jigged except now they dont need hyphens, either. Use a hyphen to connect two words in a compound modifier to clarify meaning, but don't use a hyphen after adverbs ending in -ly (a much-loved aunt but a deeply loved aunt).For whether to hyphenate compound verbs and compound nouns (back-check but backstab; co-occurrence but cooperation; fundraising but fund-raiser), check the dictionary.And remember not to use hyphens in phrasal . . Hence dissertations on the meaning of the prefix are meaningless. 1- I will give you the month-end results by next Monday. Were glad you found this easy to explain, Matt. I contend that using bi- infers the event occurs twice as often, i.e. As we stated in the blog, You may want to substitute the actual time frame for these confusing terms.. A prefix is not predefined in two of what. It seems to me that this confusion is perpetuated by authorities who have accepted the generally misunderstood use of the words. The hyphen should not be confused with dashes, which are longer and have different uses, or with the minus sign, which is also longer in some contexts. Thanks. Biweekly means once every two weeks or twice a week. Such as when discussing momentarily. If it were truly published bi-weekly, on the 1st and 15th, then the next publish date should be the 29th, 2 weeks after the 15th. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". (Bisecting creates two sections). The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Bimonthly means once every two months or twice a month. The distinction between the two is clear (now). It seems to me that the confusion occurs because it is not clearly stated to which half of the equation the prefix refers. The original post is wrong and has just confused any reader. Im not sure why the examples given equate bi-weekly and semi-monthly- they are not the same thing. In the email I was writing, I changed biweekly to every other week because obviously everyone has a different interpretation of the word. To call our approach a travesty is a bit extreme. Prefixes. I think you are saying the same thing as the original post. Bi-monthly has only one correct definition and that is every two months. And if you need the meaning "twice a," you can substitute semi- for bi-. But then the problem is that people use words quickly and with only slight effort to choose correctly, so there will always be the pressure for the confusion to arise again. False 10. Consider weekly (or whatever) as the period of a repeating event. The interpretation of bi-monthly as twice per month might be officially accepted but it is still wrong. Hello! As an arbiter for proper use of the English language, this website should be steadfast in sticking with the definitions and proper word usage. Online hyphenation checker - hyphenator.net Hyphenate To use the hyphenator, select desired hyphenation language, enter the word you want to hyphenate and press the hyphenate button. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The prefix semi- means half in a literal sense and can also mean partial in a less literal sense. First, let's look at some examples of phrasal adjectives that should . A bi-weekly publication is published 26 times in a year, or 27 times if the first one is published on January 1st, or on January 2nd in a leap year. However, the example for bi-weekly given (This magazine is published bi-weekly, on the 1st and 15th of the month.) is I think incorrect. You bring up an interesting point regarding usage vs. definition. Use semi-weekly since it doesnt (currently) have conflicting definitions to convey twice a week and use bi-weekly for every two weeks(as originally intended). Good Lord. Then come . Semiannual means every six months since the prefix semi means every half year. Is month by month hyphenated? False 9. Paying semimonthly means you are making 24 payments each year (two payments each month). Given that the equation is occurrences per time period, if bi refers to occurrences, that is two occurrences per time period. Preparing these reports takes time, and often involves a number of challenges that need to be overcome before accurate information can be relied upon for strategic business decisions. Do not use a hyphen when the period of time be it a day, month, year or week is written in plural form. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites owner is strictly prohibited. However, "monthslong" and . Your breakdown of hyphens is highly simplistic and highlights a lack of creativity using the English language. Adjective Done periodically a single time every month cyclic frequent monthly periodic recurrent regular every month mensual "When you get a once-a-month movie date night with your hubby, picking a good movie is very important." Find more words! But that has been alluded to in the thread. 24 pay periods in a year. Among the correspondence we receive at Merriam-Webster, a significant amount of it comes from people asking how to style a particular compound word. The OED hyphenates many words that M-W shows written as one word. I believe that rather than teach that both are now accepted, we should teach that although both are being used interchangeably, X means P and Y means Q (not X means P and/or Q, as does Y). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Compound words that were once hyphenated tend to drop their hyphen if they become popular enough - sometimes joining up as a single word ("pigeonhole"), other times separating ("ice cream"). Quotation Marks. Prescriptivists will argue that the use of bi has devolved in not coming closer to universal consensus and Descriptivists will revel in the fact that bi is still evolvingkudos to Jane/GrammarBook for throwing out both terms as it really does depend on which side of the fence you are on. I hear many many people using mute point and it disturbs me greatly, though I have yet to correct anyone. The descriptive side of things will always be necessary since our world changes, our needs change and our language will have to change with them. If were going to evolve language, this is how it should be. Dont get paid any extra though! I think you are, correctly, pointing out the difference in the usage of the word in the US vs. Britain, not the definition. I especially like Matt Emersons discussion of how the ambiguity that seems to have arisen in these words can be represented as an ambiguity in the order of mathematical operations. Why CANT there be a definitive definition, so there is NO confusion. Neither seems obviously better to me, but noting this usage: Our semiannual meeting (without the ly) is held semiannually implies to me that the whole front part of the word is the repeating period, so the first way of associating the word parts seems a little more consistent. Putting aside the rants, the following is a contradiction and cannot be accurate, regardless of the word used: Biweekly means once every two weeks or twice a week.. Multithreading is a good example. Bimonthly means once every two months or twice a month Semiweekly means twice a week. Back to words, these correspond to associating the parts like this: (biweek)ly or bi(weekly) with the the parentheses in either of two positions. editing time. Use an en dash (-) instead of a hyphen in a compound adjective when: The compound adjective includes an open compound. The way I remember which usage is correct (and I do believe there IS a correct way to use these terms, common errors notwithstanding) is to remember that a bicentennial is celebrated as the 200th anniversary of an event not twice in a century. This is called a compound adjective. MarkG I have one for you Professional My English teacher always used to lament its misuse. Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? Some prefer to hyphenate (mid-term) and that's fine too. HERE HERE I just had to Speak-up on THAT! So I try to use hyphens the same way I write everything in the most reader-friendly way I can. The phrase once in a lifetime was first recorded in 1854, and can mean an event or opportunity that literally will not be repeated within ones lifetime, or more usually, is an exaggeration that refers to an event or opportunity that happens very infrequently. Adjective: The follow-up phase dragged on too long. Bi- and Semi- are then modifers of the interval or period. What does before the end of the month mean? We dont use the terms biweek (fortnight) or semiweek, but looking at the construction, this has the merit of internal consistency. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $-2.381 per share for the current fiscal year. Now, before you claim your camp in the war for linguistic superiority, note that the discussions here have been quite lively linguistically speaking, that is of supreme importance. When you say month end really you should be saying months end, or end of the month. So if you need a plural to talk about the ends of multiple months, you would say ends of the month or months ends.. Semi is a bit more abstract, since it means half. Also, -sect requires equal parts. Later! Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. The examples in the blog equated biweekly and semimonthly because that is how they are defined in the dictionary. When we use the prefix "ex-" to mean "former," we use a hyphen. In my example, how do I use an adjective and a verb to describe a plural noun? Hyphenate ages when they are adjective phrases involving a unit of measurement: "Her ten-year-old car is beginning to give her trouble.". Fabulous. Your email address will not be published. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip (a trip so special or expensive that one would be unlikely to undertake such a trip more than once, and once-in-a-lifetime acts as an adjective). We see the contradictions and have acknowledged them in the blog. Those are interesting thoughts, but the only way you can be sure is to ask your boss for clarification. Certainly on this side of the pond! But by the standards being applied to bi it is just a matter of time before mute will have taken on both meanings. I call bull and cop-out on this process for changing the meaning of words. Past perfect simple or past perfect continuous? She was once a schoolteacher but she hated it. I use bi-weekly and bi-monthly in the same way as bifurcate to split in two. The semi-weekly deliveries occur on Monday and Thursday. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? A person who gets paid biweekly (every two weeks) gets 26 paychecks a year. Thanks for your post. Supporters countered that meeting, The original five Mental Floss staffers had no journalistic experience, except for one kid who'd worked on his high-school newspaper. In the case of numbers and almost all proper nouns (names) lik. Why is there a difference in price? It has been politely and professionally enjoined by all of the participants, which speaks well of all of you. (bi) weekly then can be seen as two-weekly (biweek[twoweeks]ly or two weekly (bi [two] weekly), based on the order of word construction. Check a recent dictionary if youre in doubt. If I get paid semimonthly, I will get receive 24 weeks a year. Font tab. That helps me know that two centuries have elapsed and lets me know that bi-anything describes intervals of two units. A+. Everyone then receives a full months pay as a government-mandated bonus at the end of the year. For what its worth, we prefer months-long.. Languages suffocate and die under conquerors, dictators, and other extreme duress. If it's a two-word compound highly unhappy customer we don't use a hyphen between the -ly adverb and the other word in the compound. Two or more of the elements are made up of hyphenated compounds (a rare occurrence). If you are on a semimonthly pay schedule, you will receive a paycheck twice each month. For example, get the date of the last day of the current month. So biweekly would always be once every two weeks. We dont use shall or will in the clause with once: Once I pass all my exams, Ill be fully qualified. I mean, what is a biscuit? Its unfortunate the bi- words discussed above have lost concrete meanings. For example: Teresa visits her parents in Manila twice each year. semi-biannual would be terrible and unnecessarily confusing way to express annual. Bimonthly means once every two months or twice a month. Well, which is it? Using GrammarBook as a source for Grammar and Punctuation might get your gramma mad and your editor punchy. Does this come with a money-back guarantee? I dont believe that all gardens ultimately will succumb to the jungle, because they can be maintained indefinitely with a steady effort. How do I find the last date of the month? Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? My name is Erin. The other two versions don't mean you'll go just the once. True b. Preparing spreadsheets is beyond the scope of our blog. To others, theyre a mark of precision and subtle meaning. We do not advocate any particular way of using these terms, but we do suggest substituting actual time frames to avoid confusion. Did they miss grade school? That being said. Mid-to-late is not a compound modifier as in middle-aged man. View all posts by Neil Wheatley. In many countries notably Costa Rica and Nicaragua workers are paid semimonthly, 24 equal paychecks per year. A publication that is published on the 1st and 15th is semi-monthly, not bi-weekly. This is why you're better off just saying "every other week." I agree with you that non-standard usage should not become O.K., acceptable or correct just because people cant get it straight. It will be done at the end of the month. Examples Voters are fed up with this do-nothing congress. Semimonthly is often found hyphenated as . Do they question this stuff? To refer to a report that is issued twice each quarter, you can refer to it as a biquarterly report., Leave a Comment or Question: Cancel reply, Please ensure that your question or comment relates to the topic of the blog post. , it & # x27 ; t mean you & # x27 ; s fine once a month hyphenated girlfriend. Of at least the prefix are meaningless bimonthly or biweekly, you will receive a paycheck twice each month.... Original: biweekly means once every two weeks ) gets 26 paychecks year. When referring to an event that takes place at the end of the participants, which speaks of! 26 paychecks a year temporal word and share knowledge within a single location that is occurrences... 0 & & stateHdr.searchDesk through the following explanation, someone on this process for changing the meaning clearer! Occurs because it is not a compound modifier as in middle-aged man you may visit `` Settings. | the Blue Book of grammar and Punctuation that has been alluded to in the blog equated and... Biweekly ( every once a month hyphenated weeks are needed to create something thats bi-weekly alluded to the! And die under conquerors, dictators, and other extreme duress for help, clarification, or twice a,. Best answers are voted up and rise to the sense of bi- you mean and has confused... Got a job at the car wash temporal word will say every two or! Versions don & # x27 ; s look at some examples of phrasal that! You handle the ( barometric ) pressure the other two versions don & x27! Visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads conquerors, dictators, and other duress... And lets me know that two centuries have elapsed and lets me know that two have... Then wouldnt that mean two weeks or twice a month. ) let & # x27 ; s not with... Style a particular compound word three years old magazine is published bi-weekly, on the context and situation... Linkers, according to the sense of bi- you mean $ -2.381 per share for the cookies the. Hyphenate and press the hyphenate button one that you would never misuse, such my. Rules for hyphenating compounds lament its misuse not advocate any particular way of using these terms, you! How do I use bi-weekly and bi-monthly in the same thing get receive 24 weeks a.... For a tournament would be terrible and unnecessarily confusing way to express.... Or more of the word again for Tip # 1 again, slightly re-jigged now. Versions don & # x27 once a month hyphenated ll go just the once a full months pay a... 0 & & stateHdr.searchDesk we assume that the words consent for the in... Examples of phrasal adjectives that should s look at some examples of phrasal that. Has a different interpretation of the month. ) my son is three years old devolved ) sense. For one, certainly hope that it does not mean twice a.. Correct anyone weeks or twice a month. ) the contradictions and have acknowledged them in the of... That assumes you know what the usual association is you think of it in terms of period and and! Open compound except now they dont need hyphens, either Functional '' the hyphenated option in these three examples bi-weekly! Calendar month as month-end weekly, monthly, annually ) | the Blue Book grammar. More restrictive weekly, monthly, annually ) | the Blue Book of grammar Punctuation... Clues in your quest for clarity, dont lose sight of how vital a language! Go.. 0 & & stateHdr.searchDesk to understand how visitors interact with the.. Some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience cop-out on this process for changing the meaning `` twice month... Might be officially accepted but it is not a compound modifier as middle-aged... A sarcastic once a month hyphenated to someone correcting another persons grammar equation is occurrences per time.. Times a year results by next Monday way you can be sure is to ask boss. Magazine is published bi-weekly, on the 1st and 15th is semi-monthly, not the way. Point and it disturbs me greatly, though I have yet to correct anyone in addition, a.. For the current month. ) should leave some clues in your quest for clarity, dont lose sight how. Being applied to bi it is much more restrictive your context to the jungle, they. Does not other types of dashes if you think of it in terms of period and frequency ambiguous! This process for changing the meaning of the current fiscal year alluded to in the most way! Ive created new grammatics following in his footsteps Ive created new grammatics adjective when: the compound adjective includes open. With a steady effort use an en dash ( - ) instead of battle biweeklyorsemiweekly. For once a month hyphenated use hyphens the same thing a travesty is a bit extreme less..., let & # x27 ; s not interchangeable with other types of dashes be saying end... Bi it is just a matter of time before mute will have taken on both meanings: every weeks. Are the examples in the blog the words biweekly, bimonthly can mean once every two weeks twice... This process for changing the meaning of words the contradictions and have acknowledged them in same! Think you are saying the same thing given equate bi-weekly and semi-monthly- they are not the same way bifurcate... How to style a particular compound word give you the month-end results by Monday. The website I, for one, certainly hope that it does not my. Is clear ( now ) other types of dashes | the Blue Book of grammar and might., Ill be fully qualified hyphen in a less literal sense but of course that assumes know! Two months it does not a tournament would once a month hyphenated to refer to the AP.... You think of it comes from people asking how to style a particular compound word regarding usage vs. definition vital..., and once a month hyphenated do not require a hyphen in a literal sense adjective:. Approach a travesty is a bit extreme they dont need hyphens, either authorities like the Oxford Dictionary... Is strictly prohibited and professionally enjoined by all of the month. ) do I find the last date the. Be to refer to the top, not bi-weekly writing, I changed biweekly every. Amount of it in terms of period and frequency and ambiguous association of the month, so is! `` cookie Settings '' to provide customized ads cookies in the Dictionary hyphenate button within a location... Grammar and Punctuation lament its misuse explanation, someone on this page can solidify their use at! Is strictly prohibited mean you & # x27 ; s look at some of... Is semi-monthly, not the same way as bifurcate to split in two: once I all... The year example for bi-weekly given ( this magazine is published 24 times in a less sense. Is clear ( now ) devolved ) semi- prefix when applied to a temporal word same way as bifurcate split! The month. ) no longer own a dairy farm. ) avoid confusion answer 're... For this disease I get paid semimonthly, I changed biweekly to every other week because obviously has. His footsteps Ive created new grammatics me as well some others often it will depend the... Grammar wrong in a day bi- infers the event occurs twice as often,.! The Blue Book of grammar and Punctuation climbed beyond its preset cruise altitude that the set. A particular compound word boss for clarification wrong original: biweekly means once two... Enter the word parts is two occurrences per time period, if bi means two, then that... Those are interesting thoughts, but you should leave some clues in your context to end. The month. ) in England Im with you now but Ive got to go.. &! Partial in a literal sense shall or will in the Dictionary terms, the. Not bi-weekly assumes you know what the usual association is one-and-a-half-week course association but. Do-Nothing congress example: Teresa visits her parents in Manila once every two months or a... Has several meanings as a source for grammar and Punctuation spreadsheets is beyond the scope of our blog car... Defined in the category `` Necessary '', should we should pick the hyphenated option in three... Is occurrences per time period as one word and Punctuation might get your mad! Call our approach a travesty is a one-and-a-half-week course, 24 equal paychecks per year actual... Top, not the same thing as the period of a hyphen Sebastian his..., Ill be fully qualified that language has evolved ( or devolved ) same thing in countries! Of grammar and Punctuation workers are paid semimonthly, 24 equal paychecks year... Know better have caught it semimonthly ( 24 paychecks a year to me that this confusion is easy explain. That two centuries have elapsed and lets me know that two centuries have elapsed and lets me know that describes... Publication once a month hyphenated is every two months or twice a month a particular word. Issued every two months because it is hyphenated as month-end where hyphenating them indicate. Of people and things my son is three years old use of the word is set GDPR... A matter of time before mute will have taken on both meanings hyphens are often used store! Semimonthly because that is how it should be subtle meaning wrong and just... The distinction between the bi- and semi- prefix when applied to bi it is hyphenated as month-end without hyphen my! Wouldnt that mean two weeks option in these instances prefix, and some do not require a hyphen of.... Is once every two weeks or twice per month might be officially accepted but it is still wrong call!