Words that are commonly confused

Biennial/ biannual/ semiannual

The adjective biennial means something that happens every two years. Thammasat University students of biology and plant science are aware that biennial may also refer to a plant which lives for two years. The adjective biannual means something that happens twice every year. Another adjective with the same meaning as biannual is semiannual, which refers to something occurring twice a year or once every six months. These adjectives are often used to describe periodicals in the TU Library collection, which may be listed as appearing biannually, semiannually, or biennially. If a periodical is described as a semimonthly, then it is published twice a month. Somewhat confusingly, a periodical described as a bimonthly may be published twice a month or once every two months.

Keeping all of these terms separate is a challenge even to native English speakers. One way to approach the problem might be to think of the letters semi in the word semiannually, meaning half, as in semicircle, or half a circle. The letters semi can also mean less than fully, as in semiconscious. So something that is semiannual divides the year into two parts. A semi-trailer truck, usually called a semi truck or semi combines a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight.

Even more challenging for writers of Thai English in academic research papers and theses is that we sometimes see an Italian word, Biennale, used to describe an art event that occurs every two years. This term is known from the Venice Biennale, which was first held over a century ago. Now there is a Bangkok Art Biennale Foundation.

The only time the Italian word Biennale is used is in relation to art, so students in every other field need not worry about using it in a thesis. Since bimonthly may have two meanings, it is sometimes necessary to figure out the meaning based on the evidence at hand. For example, to know if a periodical is published twice a month or once every two months, we might look it up online to see if the issues are scheduled every two weeks or every eight weeks.

Some usage examples:

• Next year’s Bangkok Biennial will take a decidedly guerrilla-style approach in contrast to the well-funded Bangkok Art Biennale that will reach into February 2019. The boom in biennials: Yes, Thailand seems to be making up for lost time. Next year it will host three international festivals of contemporary art. Two will be in the capital. An anonymous underground movement is organising the Bangkok Biennial (BB, using the English spelling) from July to September. Then, in November and stretching into February 2019, ThaiBev will be footing the hefty bill for the Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB). As well as a wealthy backer, the latter has a well-connected artistic director in former Culture Ministry stalwart Apinan Poshayananda. Its exhibits will extend to Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Wat Prayoon, Lumpini Park, the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and a slew of shopping malls.
• TINT all set to hold biennial International Nuclear Science and Technology Conference next month. The Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT) early next month will hold the “International Nuclear Science and Technology Conference” under the theme “Nuclear for Better Life”. This year’s conference in Bangkok gathers more than 100 nuclear science and technology researchers from around the world for both paper and oral presentations, together with an exhibition of Thailand’s nuclear research and awards for two outstanding nuclear scientists.
• Big issues up for discussion at major legal gathering in Bangkok. Thailand will host the fifth Asian Society of International Law (AsianSIL) Biennial conference, one of the world’s largest gatherings of lawyers and legal professionals, later this month. The international event will help shed light on some of the most pressing regional and global issues that laws have yet to catch up to.
• The following week on March 7-17 , Pattaya is hosting the biennial AFC Beach Soccer Championship. Organised by the Asian Football Confederation, the championship will see 15 Asian men’s national teams compete for the title, with the three top teams also qualifying for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2019 in Paraguay later this year. With an average of 11 goals per game of 36 minutes, it’s a fast-paced and fun sport to watch!
• Thailand football coach Milovan Rajevac has named Chalermpong Kerdkaew of Nakhon Ratchasima FC as Thailand’s captain for the AFF Suzuki Cup, which starts on Thursday. The Serbian has also picked two Bangkok Glass midfielders, Thitipan Puangchan as and Tanaboon Kesarat, as vice-captains for the biennial soccer event, which Thailand have won five times in the past 10 occasions. The 31-year-old centre-back Chalermpong was first given the captain’s armband during last month’s friendly with Hong Kong, which Thailand won 1-0.
• Vietnam’s Da Lat city to bloom anew at flower festival. The central highland city of Da Lat will host the biennial flower festival – a tourism trademark of the city – from December 29 to January 2. The upcoming event, themed Da Lat – A Multitude of Flower Colours, will feature a similar array of tourism and cultural activities including flower exhibitions in the city’s downtown; tours to Ha Dong, Thai Phien and Van Thanh flower villages; a flower carnival; a vegetable-flower fair; and a science conference on flowers.
• A biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year, the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots (vegetative structures), then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming a rosette. Many biennials require a cold treatment, or vernalization, before they will flower. During the next spring or summer, the stem of the biennial plant elongates greatly, or “bolts”.[3] The plant then flowers, producing fruits and seeds before it finally dies. There are far fewer biennials than either perennial plants or annual plants.
• In terms of festivals, the second edition of the biannual Bangkok’s International Children’s Theatre Festival (BICTfest), by Arts on Location and Democrazy, was joyful, and not just for kids. With strong support from the French Embassy, Goethe Institut, Japan Foundation and BACC, audiences watched performances, while practitioners attended workshops and seminars, from many countries. This is yet more proof that when cultural organisations join forces, instead of curating their own festivals like our MOC, the impact is stronger.
• The second edition of the biannual ConversAsians, organised by the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, featured a smaller number of artists — just 12 from seven countries including four Singaporeans. The reduced scope allowed the audience more time to watch their works in different stages of development, listen to their talks and participate in their workshops as well as leaving space for reflection about what we had experienced. The event had moved from being purely a performing arts market towards becoming a platform of exchange, meaning local audiences, artists and students could also enjoy and learn from it as much as festival organisers from around the world.
• Thanks to support from the French and German cultural agencies, Bangkok kids and adults had some unique fun at BICTfest 2018. Two nouveau cirques and one underwater contemporary dance performance showed why the Bangkok International Children’s Theatre Festival was such a treat for both the young and the not so young. Good times always pass by too quickly and last Sunday it was time for the 11-day second edition of the biannual Bangkok International Children’s Theatre Festival (BICTfest) to bring the curtain down.
• Ipg Mediabrands Thailand recently produced a biannual “Media Scene” report that encompasses the changing dynamics of the Kingdom’s population and rapidly evolving ecosystem of its media. Khanokkhan Prajongsangsri, managing director of the investment and knowledge arm of the local IPG outfit, reported that despite the nation facing an increasingly ageing population, the term “old” had somewhat been redefined. Half of the respondents to a global online survey conducted for the Nielsen Media Index stated that “old” starts at 70 years of age.
• The Stock Exchange of Thailand on Monday announced the semiannual review results for the SET50, SET100, sSET, SETCLMV, SETHD and SETTHSI indices, which will be used to revise the constituent securities for each index for the first half of next year.

 

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)