before vowels sem-, word-forming element meaning "half, part, partly; partial, imperfect; twice," from Latin semi- "half," from PIE *semi- "half" (cf. Sanskrit sami "half," Greek hemi- "half," Old English sam-, Gothic sami- "half").
Old English cognate sam- was used in such compounds as samhal "poor health," literally "half-whole;" samsoden "half-cooked," figuratively "stupid" (cf. half-baked); samcucu "half-dead," literally "half-alive;" and the last survivor of the group, sandblind "dim-sighted" (q.v.). Common in Latin (e.g. semi-gravis "half-drunk," semi-hora "half hour," semi-mortuus "half-dead," semi-nudus "half-naked," semi-vir "half-man, hermaphrodite"). The Latin-derived form in English has been active in forming native words since 15c.
semi- pref.
Half: semicanal.
Partial; partially: semiconscious.
Resembling or having some of the characteristics of: semilunar.
| semi- A prefix that means "half," (as in semicircle, half a circle) or "partly, somewhat, less than fully," (as in semiconscious, partly conscious). |
/se'mee/ or /se'mi:/ A spoken abbreviation for semicolon.
"Commands to grind are prefixed by semi semi star" means that the prefix is ";;*", not 1/4 of a star.
[Jargon File]
(1995-01-31)