demi-
prefixEtymology From Middle English demi (“half, half-sized, partial”), from Anglo-Norman demi (“half”), from Vulgar Latin *dimedius, from Latin dīmidius, from dis- (“apart; in two”) + medius (“middle”).
1
Morpheme partial
2
Morpheme half
3
Government, Heraldry, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Monarchy, Nobility, Politics Morpheme Only the upper or front half of
- The Barony of Pennicuik, the property of Sir George Clerk, Bart., is held by the following singular tenure: The proprietor is bound to sit upon a large rock, called the Buckstone, and wind three blasts of a horn when the king comes to hunt on the Borough Moor near Edinburgh. On account of this singular custom the family have adopted as their crest a demi-forester proper, winding a horn with the motto, Free for a blast.1885, E. J. Guthrie, Old Scottish Customs, page 84:
- Derived terms
- demibastion, demicanton, demiglace, demigod, demigoddess, demimondaine, demimonde, demi-plié, demi-pointe, demirelief, demirep, demisemiquaver, demisexual, demitasse, demiworld