# Prefix that means "in the middle of"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284 "2007-11-30T05:40:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284/21 "2007-11-30T21:57:06Z")
demi-? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284/22 "2007-11-30T22:13:22Z")
[QUOTE=Bewildebeest] Death is an instant. Either something is or it isn’t. (Mostly dead aside). I think premortem is the word you’re looking for. [/QUOTE] Actually, I’m going to disagree and say death is a _process_ that cannot be tied down to a precise instant. So nyah! ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284/23 "2007-11-30T23:13:43Z")
[QUOTE=Rysto] The prefix pre- means, roughly speaking, before, while post- means after. Is there a prefix that means in the middle of? To help give some context, I’ve been asked to do a “postmortem” on a project that _hasn’t even completed yet_ and I’m feeling a bit snarky about it, but titling it “in-the-middle-of-mortem” just doesn’t quite have the right ring to it, you know? [/QUOTE] Is the project dying but not dead? Is it terminal or preterminal or moribund but not dead? I wouldn’t hesitate to create a neologism if you want to mock the “mortem” part in particular. In that case, perimortem is what you are looking for. Make it peri-mortem or “peri-mortem” if you want to call attention to the fact you are aware it’s a neologism. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284/24 "2007-11-30T23:18:51Z")
An interim somethingorother - evaluation, analysis, etc.? Progress report? The antepenultimatemortem report? 🙂 The project so far…? (right behind ya, chappachula! 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284/25 "2007-11-30T23:20:42Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Actually, I’m going to disagree and say death is a _process_ that cannot be tied down to a precise instant. So nyah! [/QUOTE] As one who has presided over plenty of deaths, I agree. Once one of my residents pronounced a patient prematurely. That will definitely ring home the point that it’s a process. Instead of being annoyed at incompetence the family was delighted with their miracle. Go figure. Sorry for the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284/26 "2007-11-30T23:40:42Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Actually, I’m going to disagree and say death is a _process_ that cannot be tied down to a precise instant. So nyah! [/QUOTE] [The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t] I’m not dead. [/TDBTCII] ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284/27 "2007-12-01T03:20:10Z")
Not a prefix, but _in media res_ works. Literally. It’s a favorite literary device of mine, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284/28 "2007-12-01T04:40:06Z")
I would vote for "meso- " as the general prefix for “in the middle”, based on words such as “mesopotamia” (between the rivers) and meso-america (middle america). however, I agree with posters who don’t think it fits the term “mortem”, as the teacher seems to be wanting it in this case. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefix-that-means-in-the-middle-of/428284.md?page=1)