Explained: English's 3 different prefixes for 'half'

Semi, hemi, demi

Half-moon
(Image credit: (iStock))

English has a number of prefixes that come from the concept of "half." Why do we have so many? And what's the difference between them?

1. SEMI

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Arika Okrent

Arika Okrent is editor-at-large at TheWeek.com and a frequent contributor to Mental Floss. She is the author of In the Land of Invented Languages, a history of the attempt to build a better language. She holds a doctorate in linguistics and a first-level certification in Klingon. Follow her on Twitter.