Word for a 225th Birthday

Date: 07/10/2001 at 03:14:08
From: Jerry Rosen
Subject: Is there a word for a 225th birthday?

This year America is celebrating its 225th birthday. As we celebrated 
the bicentennial in 1976, is there a term for 225 years?

Thanks,
Jerry

Date: 07/10/2001 at 12:50:06
From: Doctor Peterson
Subject: Re: Is there a word for a 225th birthday?

Hi, Jerry.

There are words for such odd anniversaries, but I'm not sure they are 
at all standard. I first found this site

   Gustavus (College) Usage: An Alphabetical Listing
   http://www.gustavus.edu/oncampus/publications/style/alpha.cfm   

which, under anniversaries (institutional), gives a list:

    Colleges and universities are big on anniversary celebrations,
    so it's important that we're proper in our references to them.
    Most of the following terms are tremendously awkward, so
    alternative labels like "jubilee" may be preferred. 
     50 = quinquagenary (golden) 
     75 = terquasquigenary (diamond) 
    100 = centennial 
    125 = quasquicentennial 
    150 = sesquicentennial 
    175 = terquasquicentennial 
    200 = bicentennial 
    225 = bicenquasquigenary 
    250 = bicenquinquagenary 
    275 = bicenterquasquigenary 
    300 = tricentennial

I searched the Web, and found that some of the above appear only at 
that site, so I don't really trust it. Also, I know the 300th 
anniversary as the "tercentenary"; I think that's the preferred name, 
though both are in my dictionary. I find "quasquicentennial" in use 
elsewhere, but not "bicenquasquigenary," which is the one you are 
asking about.

So I kept looking. Here's a list I think I trust more:

   MIStupid.com - The Online Knowledge Magazine - Anniversaries
   http://mistupid.com/months/annivnames.htm   

        Year   Anniversary Name 
         2nd   Biennial 
         3rd   Triennial 
         4th   Quadrennial 
         5th   Quinquennial 
         6th   Hexennial 
         7th   Septennial 
         8th   Octennial 
         9th   Novennial 
        10th   Decennial 
        11th   Hendecennial 
        12th   Duodecennial 
        13th   Tredecennial 
        15th   Quindecennial 
        16th   Sextodecennial 
        17th   Septendecennial 
        20th   Vigintennial 
        30th   Trigentennial 
        40th   Quadragennial 
        50th   Quinquagenary or Jubilee 
        60th   Sexagennial 
        70th   Septuagennial 
        75th   Septuagesiquintennial 
        80th   Octogintennial 
        90th   Nonagintennial 
       100th   Centennial 
       125th   Quasquicentennial 
       150th   Sesquicentennial 
       175th   Septaquintaquinquecentennial 
       200th   Bicentennial 
       225th   Quasquibicentennial 
       250th   Semiquincentennial 
       300th   Tercentennial 
       350th   Semiseptcentennial 
       400th   Quatercentenary 
       500th   Quincentennial 
       600th   Sexcentennial 
       700th   Septcentennial 
       800th   Octocentennial 
     1,000th   Millenial 
    15,000th   Quindecimillenial 

That makes this the "Quasquibicentennial" (which means, "a quarter 
more than 200 years").

Here is an alternative discussion I found:

   Naming the Anniversaries - Glenn Kersten
   (Reference service, Suburban Library System, Burr Ridge, Illinois)
   http://www.sls.lib.il.us/reference/por/features/97/annivers.html   

This looks the most "official" but it doesn't include 225. For the 
sake of repetitiveness - I mean, completeness - here's their list:

    The March 1988 issue of Quidnunc, erstwhile newsletter for
    Illinois system and R&R reference librarians, included a
    comprehensive though not all-inclusive list of anniversary
    names, many of which were verified in the Oxford English
    Dictionary. Below is a new list based largely on the Quidnunc
    list, with a few more recent additions. The abbreviations in
    the Authority column refer to the Random House Dictionary
    (RHD) and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Those without
    dictionary authority are listed as "Proposed." (The latter
    were created using Latin number forms, but cannot be
    considered to be official terms; they were created by
    individuals without consensus.)

Number of Years  Anniversary Name             Authority
---------------  ----------------             ---------
2                Biennial                     OED
3                Triennial                    OED
4                Quadrennial                  OED
5                Quinquennial                 OED
6                Hexennial                    Proposed
7                Septennial                   OED
8                Octennial                    OED
9                Novennial                    OED
10               Decennial                    OED
11               Hendecennial                 Proposed
12               Duodecennial                 OED
13               Tredecennial                 Proposed
15               Quindecennial                OED
16               Sextodecennial               Proposed
17               Septendecennial              OED
20               Vigintennial                 Proposed
30               Trigentennial                Proposed
40               Quadragennial                OED
50               Quinquagenary or Jubilee     OED
60               Sexagennial                  Proposed
70               Septuagennial                Proposed
75               Septuagesiquintennial        Proposed
80               Octogintennial               Proposed
90               Nonagintennial               Proposed
100              Centennial                   OED
125              Quasquicentennial            RHD
150              Sesquicentennial             OED
175              Terquasquicentennial or 
                 Septaquintaquinquecentennial Proposed
200              Bicentennial                 OED
250              Semiquincentennial           Proposed
300              Tercentennial                OED
350              Semiseptcentennial           Proposed
400              Quatercentenary              OED
500              Quincentennial               OED
600              Sexcentennial                Proposed
700              Septcentennial               Proposed
800              Octocentennial               OED
1,000            Millenial                    OED
15,000           Quindecimillenial            OED

It looks as if you can use any word you like for the 225th, at your 
own risk.
 
- Doctor Peterson, The Math Forum
  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/