How Do You Spell BISSEXTIL?

Pronunciation: [bˈɪsɪkstˌɪl] (IPA)

Bissextil is a variant spelling of the word "bissextile," most commonly used to refer to a leap year, which occurs every four years in the Gregorian calendar. The spelling "bissextil" is not technically incorrect, but it is considered archaic and less common. The word is pronounced /bɪˈsɛkstaɪl/, with stress on the second syllable. The "bis" prefix means "twice" and "sextile" refers to the system of dividing the zodiac into 12 equal parts, each representing 30 degrees of arc.

BISSEXTIL Meaning and Definition

1. Bissextil is an adjective that pertains to leap year or the act of intercalating an additional day, thus adjusting the calendar to align with the solar year. The term originated from the Latin word bissextus, which means "twice sixteenth," referring to the insertion of an extra day in the 16th year of each 19-year lunar cycle to compensate for the slight discrepancy between the solar and lunar calendars.

   In ancient Roman times, bissextile or leap day was added to February, the shortest month in the Julian calendar, every four years. This was done to ensure that the calendar remained synchronized with the Earth's revolutions around the sun, compensating for the fraction of a day that accumulates annually. Therefore, bissextil became synonymous with a year that contains an additional day.

   This leap year system was introduced in the Gregorian calendar reform in 1582, proposed by Pope Gregory XIII. The Gregorian calendar has become the most widely used civil calendar worldwide. Bissextil has since been used to describe any year that contains 366 days, rather than the usual 365 days.

   Overall, bissextil refers to a year that has a leap day inserted to keep the calendar synchronized with the Earth's orbit, and it has been an essential element in various calendar systems implemented throughout history.

Common Misspellings for BISSEXTIL

• bissectile
• bisextile
• bissexile
• bissextile
• bissextille
• vissextil
• nissextil
• hissextil
• gissextil
• bussextil
• bjssextil
• bkssextil
• bossextil
• b9ssextil
• b8ssextil
• biasextil
• bizsextil
• bixsextil
• bidsextil
• biesextil

Etymology of BISSEXTIL

The word "bissextil" is derived from the Latin term "bis sextus", which means "twice six". It refers to every fourth year in the Julian calendar that has an extra day (February 29) to keep the calendar year in alignment with the solar year. This extra day was inserted between the 23rd and 24th days of February, making February 24 (six days before the end of the month) the "sixth day before the Calends of March" (Sexto calendas Martii). Using this terminology, every fourth year with an extra day came to be known as "bis sextus", and eventually, the term "bissextilis" (both variants were used) was adopted in Latin to describe the leap year system. Over time, the word evolved into "bissextil" in the French language, which is used in certain contexts to refer to a leap year.

Similar spelling words for BISSEXTIL

• Bissextile,
• boscastle.