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Chris -- 2018-04-11
This is definitely not an eggcorn, at least as I understand it, but an interesting use of language. People often use anniversary (anno- = year) to refer to any dated milestone. So people will celebrate a one-month “anniversary” or a six-month “anniversary.” As you can see, at least one of the hits below uses “anniversary” in quotes as an acknowledgment that the usage is not quite accurate.
Here are some google findings:
FEMA: Six Month Anniversary Of Disaster DeclarationDENTON, Texas—Thursday, October 12 marks the six-month anniversary of the Presidential disaster declaration for Conway, Cross, Fulton, Greene, Lawrence, ...
www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=30620 – 6k – Cached – Similar pages
FEMA: Six Month Anniversary Of Disaster DeclarationDENTON, Texas—This Friday, October 13, marks the six month anniversary of the Presidential disaster declaration for Delaware County residents and …
www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=30619 – 6k – Cached – Similar pages
JenJenqld: 6th month anniversary6th month anniversary. The “W’ post. We have now been here over six months. WOW it has gone so quickly. When we walk into our home it feels like “home”. ...
jenjenqld.blogspot.com/2007/08/6th-month-anniversary.html – 80k – Cached – Similar pages
Verification: A sad one month “anniversary”A sad one month “anniversary”. We are now one month past the 14 April 2007 deadline to shutdown and seal the YNC. Is North Korea prepared to conduct a …
verificationthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/05/sad-one-month-anniversary.html – 74k – Cached – Similar pages
a strangled duck » Happy 3 month anniversary!Happy 3 month anniversary! 3 Sep, 2007 Site Stuff. Wow, even I am amazed that I’ve got a blog that has lasted that long. Most of my blogs have fizzed out in …
bryce.insanesparrow.com/happy-3-month-anniversary – 26k – Cached – Similar pages
Also, people will say “It’s our one-year anniversary,” but I believe it should be “first anniversary” instead, no? If nothing else, “x-year anniversary” is redundant.
Nothing earth-shattering here, but I found it interesting nonetheless. (“Anniversary” brought up no results when I searched this site, so I hope I’m not just posting something old here.)
Last edited by JonW719 (2007-09-13 12:05:40)
Feeling quite combobulated.
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The MWDEU has a brief article on this usage; they say it’s more common in speech than in writing—which still seems to be true. They also provide a sort of tentative defense of it:
The extension [of “anniversary”] to a period of time other than a year does not seem especially irrational [. . .] in the absence of an alternative word for the idea.
A good point. I wouldn’t be surprised if this became standard within a hundred years. And why not? Etymology isn’t destiny.
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To me, this post is a reminder of where our culture is heading (and where our language is lagging). It seems the marketers would have us celebrate 6-month “anniversaries” to sell more stuff. Is a neologism in the offing?
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