# Term for monthly (variation)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-monthly-variation/151656>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 30, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-monthly-variation/151656 "2003-01-30T17:13:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-monthly-variation/151656/1 "2003-01-30T17:13:23Z")

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Is there a word for monthly, as in, say, monthly variation. I’m looking for a word in the same sense as quotidian or septadian.

Many thanks.

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**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-monthly-variation/151656/2 "2003-01-30T17:56:03Z")

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“Mensual.” The word “menstrual” originally connoted “monthly,” but it has now taken on a more particular meaning, and Webster’s lists its meaning of “monthly” as archaic.

“Quotidian” I know. What is “septadian”?

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-monthly-variation/151656/3 "2003-01-30T17:56:56Z")

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“Bi-fortnightly.”

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**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-monthly-variation/151656/4 "2003-01-30T18:09:22Z")

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“Quadweekian.”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-monthly-variation/151656/5 "2003-01-31T01:05:22Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by brianmelendez \*  
> [BWhat is “septadian”? \*\*

I stand to be corrected, but I take it to mean having a seven day cycle, i.e. weekly.

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**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-monthly-variation/151656/6 "2003-01-31T04:01:14Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by KarlGauss \*  
> \*\*I stand to be corrected, but I take it to mean having a seven day cycle, i.e. weekly. \*\*

Excellent. The word doesn’t appear in my unabridged dictionary, but I did find several instances online, all in medical journals (as in “septadian rhythm”).

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**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-monthly-variation/151656/7 "2003-01-31T05:39:48Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by KarlGauss \*  
> **Is there a word for monthly, as in, say, monthly variation. I’m looking for a word in the same sense as quotidian or septadian.**

I’ve come back to this thread three times now. I have to ask: what is the same sense? I mean, why isn’t “monthly” just the word you’re looking for?