bi-yearly

English translation: could be either

08:26 Apr 26, 2010
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Law/Patents - Engineering: Industrial / Clause in maintenance contract
English term or phrase: bi-yearly
W have a following clause in an industrial installation maintenance contract.

"Supplier consultants will also carry out scheduled preventative maintenance on-site. This will take place for a half day bi-yearly."

Seems trivial, but I want to be abolutely sure of the intervals at which such maintenance is to be carried out.
petrolhead
Poland
Local time: 06:56
Selected answer:could be either
Explanation:
According to definitions on the Web, it could be either. According to "your dictionary", it is usualy every two years, the other meaning is rarer. Far better if they had used biannual or biennial, not confussion there.

biyearly - definition of biyearly by the Free Online Dictionary ...
Happening every two years. See Usage Note at bi-1. 2. Happening twice a year; semiyearly. adv. 1. Every two years. 2. Twice a year; semiyearly. ...
www.thefreedictionary.com/biyearly

biyearly - Definition of biyearly at YourDictionary.com
adjective, adverb. once every two years; biennial(ly); Now Rare twice a year: in this sense, semiyearly, semiannual(ly), or biannual(ly) is preferred ...
www.yourdictionary.com/biyearly

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Note added at 57 mins (2010-04-26 09:23:59 GMT)
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Not confussion? Sorry, looks as if there is. Should read "No confusion".
Selected response from:

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:56
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +8could be either
Jack Doughty
4 +4every two years
Jenni Lukac (X)
4 -1every six months
Jack Dunwell
Summary of reference entries provided
ambiguous
Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL
biyearly
jerzy cieslik77

Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
every two years


Explanation:
That's it.

Jenni Lukac (X)
Local time: 06:56
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you for your contribution. Actually, it turns out to be "twice a year" in this case but one would never know on the basisi of the text alone.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  English2Korean
18 mins
  -> Thanks very much. Of course, when there is a doubt, one should always confer con the client.

neutral  Cilian O'Tuama: how can you be so sure it's not twice yearly? Some sources say biyearly = biannual, as opposed to biennial
19 mins
  -> Of course, when there is a doubt, one should always confer con the client.

agree  jerzy cieslik77: yes
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Jerzy. Of course, when there is a doubt, one should always confer con the client.

agree  Ildiko Santana: The 'twice a year' meaning is very rare, but if the asker is not 100% that 'bi-yearly' means every two years, he should confirm with the client, not with ProZ teammates. :)
5 hrs
  -> Good afternoon and thanks, ildiko.

agree  Jack Dunwell: Jenni! I have never come across "every 2 years" in any field (however possible)(Pamplona translators' festival in June)
10 hrs
  -> Good evening and thanks, Jack. Fill me in about Pamplona!

disagree  Lingua.Franca: Sorry but even just looking at the differences in ProZ members' answers it is clear that there is a doubt and that the client must be contacted.
14 hrs
  -> As per the above discussion entry this seems to be difficult, so the translator is definitely in a bind.

agree  Gary D: for half a day every two years.. same as bi-monthly = every two months.. there are a lot of structures which have bi-yearly inspections including all power poles. common term in contracts.Bi-annual usually referrers to business meetings and legal fields.
16 hrs
  -> Good mornig and thanks, Gary. I'm afraid that this translation has a big dilemma.
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
could be either


Explanation:
According to definitions on the Web, it could be either. According to "your dictionary", it is usualy every two years, the other meaning is rarer. Far better if they had used biannual or biennial, not confussion there.

biyearly - definition of biyearly by the Free Online Dictionary ...
Happening every two years. See Usage Note at bi-1. 2. Happening twice a year; semiyearly. adv. 1. Every two years. 2. Twice a year; semiyearly. ...
www.thefreedictionary.com/biyearly

biyearly - Definition of biyearly at YourDictionary.com
adjective, adverb. once every two years; biennial(ly); Now Rare twice a year: in this sense, semiyearly, semiannual(ly), or biannual(ly) is preferred ...
www.yourdictionary.com/biyearly

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Note added at 57 mins (2010-04-26 09:23:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Not confussion? Sorry, looks as if there is. Should read "No confusion".

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:56
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12
Notes to answerer
Asker: Actually, it turns out to be "twice a year" in this case, but I could strangle the person who drew up the specification for having used such ambiguous terms.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cilian O'Tuama: best to ask client how they mean it
7 mins
  -> Thank you. Yes.

agree  Marek Daroszewski (MrMarDar): while linguistically it could be either, extralinguistic knowledge and experience tells us that preventive maintenance takes place twice a year during the warranty period
27 mins
  -> Thank you. Yes, you're right, but it's still ambiguous.

agree  Rolf Keiser: with Cilian
1 hr
  -> Тhank you. So do I.

agree  Lingua.Franca: Check with client to be sure. Even if there is an official definition, the client may have a different idea.
2 hrs
  -> Thank you. Yes.

agree  British Diana: with Marek
3 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  Joyce A: Yes, have to check with client. This word always bugs me. :-)
3 hrs
  -> Thank you. Yes.

neutral  jerzy cieslik77: Jack, the answer isnt the answer to the question
3 hrs
  -> It's an answer as to whether he can be absolutely sure what is meant from the text alone. He can't.

agree  Veronika McLaren
4 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  Polangmar
17 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
every six months


Explanation:
Logical. Nothing else fits IMHO

Jack Dunwell
France
Local time: 06:56
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Lingua.Franca: This is not a question of logic. This is a question of defining the term, which could be either every six months or every two years.
3 hrs
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Reference comments


56 mins peer agreement (net): +4
Reference: ambiguous

Reference information:
bimonthly, biweekly and similar designations are almost always ambiguous. It is fr better to say "every two months", "twice a month", etc.
Bill Bryson, "Troublesome words"
bimonthly avoid bimonthly and similar expressions such as biweekly as ambiguous, prefer alternative expressions such as "every two months" and "twice a month"
New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors

Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Jack Doughty
26 mins
  -> Thank you :)
agree  Lingua.Franca
2 hrs
  -> Thank you :)
agree  Tina Vonhof (X): Absolutely.
11 hrs
  -> Thank you :)
agree  humbird: You said that again!
16 hrs
  -> Thank you :)
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4 hrs peer agreement (net): -1
Reference: biyearly

Reference information:
lets take a technlogical approach - linguistics isnt enough
Prevetive maintenance is something special performed aside of "regular" maintenance/service. To do it twice a year would be to costly and time consuming. Please find how ofte are regular maintenacec perforemed for this equipement/ system/installation whatever it is. Ig e.g 2 a year then that "preventive" one also 2 a year would be nonsensical.
Engineer not a linguist - in such cases rationalise your thinking tenchnlogically

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Note added at 4 hrs (2010-04-26 12:50:48 GMT)
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it could be as well the adjective "preventive" is superfluous - Korea hop - remember this dance during Korean war?
Its simply could be a "maintenace - Wartung in German - and MrMarDar is right

jerzy cieslik77
Poland
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Polish
Note to reference poster
Asker: Thank you for your contribution.


Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
neutral  Marek Daroszewski (MrMarDar): 2 x 1/2 days a year = 1 days work = negligible cost given the cost of an industrial installation
1 hr
  -> dont ye forget the cost of production loss
disagree  Lingua.Franca: Wrong approach.
9 hrs
  -> what is wrong? logic is wrong? do you turn off thinking?
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