Why isn't each half of a sport season called a semester?

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The term "semester" is commonly used in education to refer to half of an academic year, typically divided into two periods: July to December and January to June. In contrast, sports seasons are divided into "halves" rather than semesters. The discussion highlights that the term "semester" is derived from the Latin word "semestris," meaning half a year, which explains its specific application in education. The conversation also touches on the evolution of language, suggesting that terminology often develops organically rather than through deliberate design.
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Hi,

In education, I often hear about semesters, which are each halves of an academic year (the first one is from July to December and the second one is from January to June).

However, I never hear about that term in sport seasons: that is each halves of a sport season are just called halves.

So why is the term semester never used in sports, as opposed to education?
 
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bagasme said:
Hi,

In education, I often hear about semesters, which are each halves of an academic year (the first one is from July to December and the second one is from January to June).

However, I never hear about that term in sport seasons: that is each halves of a sport season are just called halves.

So why is the term semester never used in sports, as opposed to education?
I suppose it is like how we rarely hear about extra times in education and almost always call them extensions.
 
As one who has learned several languages, one lesson I've learned is that it is pointless to ask "why" in regards to language usage. Languages are not designed, they just evolve. So there is no answer to your "why" question other than, "that's just the way we say it."
 
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bagasme said:
However, I never hear about that term in sport seasons: that is each halves of a sport season are just called halves.

So why is the term semester never used in sports, as opposed to education?
Because that's not what the word means.
 
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