Sometimes we use the phrase "one month anniversary" or "x-month
anniversary" to denote a milestone in months rather than years. 
However, "anniversary" is the 'annual recurring of a past date event'
(dictionary.com), technically referring to years, not months.  Is
there a word, derived from Latin or otherwise that is more accurate
when referring to the 'monthly recurring of a past date event'?

If the word for the commemoration of a yearly event is anniversary, by
analogy the logical word for the commemoration of a monthly event
should be "mensiversary."  "Anniversary" comes from the Latin "annum,"
meaning year.  (The "versary" part comes from a Latin word referring
to turning.) The Latin word for month is "mensis." Hence,
mensiversary. I've not found this word in any reputable dictionary,
but perhaps exposure in Google Answers can help to put it there. ;-)

"MEN-SI-VER-SA-RY (mèn´se-vûr´se-rê) noun
1. The monthly recurring date of a past event, especially one of
historical, national, or personal importance: a first date
mensiversary; the mensiversary of the founding of Nerstone Pictures.
2. A celebration commemorating such a date.
from Latin: mensis, month + versus, past participle of vertere, to turn."

Nerstone Pictures: Neologisms
http://users.snowcrest.net/larris/nerstonepictures/neologisms.htm

"mensiversary (men-si-VER-suh-ree) noun 

The day of the month on which an event occurred in some previous month.

Created by Kat Petersen in a text message. Derived from mensis (Latin:
month) + versus, past participle of vertere (Latin: to turn), in the
pattern of anniversary."

Neologism of the Week
http://uk.geocities.com/neologismoftheweek/past.html

"The second consideration weakening my confidence is that our media
have, in general, shown themselves to be comparably amateurish in the
PR war. On October 11, the mensiversary of 9/11, a news article in the
Washington Post admitted that bin-Laden is winning the propaganda
war."

Independent American Party: A Look at Islam
http://www.usiap.org/Viewpoints/Zgen/ALookAtIslam.html

"Not quite half a year ago, on an Election Tuesday in New York, our
nation's fabric was attacked, the peace was shattered, and the city's
two tallest buildings came crashing down...

People will make much today of the sixth mensiversary of the attacks.
And tomorrow will once again be the day after today."

Life with Jill the Pill: Let's Be Pensive
http://www.jillthepill.net/discus/messages/1/378.html?1000239134

======================================================================

A charming way of expressing a similar idea is "month's mind":

"MONTH'S MIND, in medieval and later England a service and feast held
one month after the death of anyone in his or her memory. Bede speaks
of the day as commemorationis dies. These 'Minding days' were of great
antiquity, and were survivals of the Norse minne or ceremonial
drinking to the dead."

1911 Encyclopedia: MONTH'S MIND
http://32.1911encyclopedia.org/M/MO/MONTH_S_MIND.htm

"There is an old Irish custom called a 'month's mind' where family and
friends gather about a month after someone's death to celebrate that
person's life."

National Catholic Reporter: Memorial Service for Gary MacEoin
http://nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/maceoin_memorial_schedules.htm

"Many Catholic cultures observe 'month's mind' Masses or yearly anniversaries."

Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE
http://ctrcc.tripod.com/pastor/comment110799.htm

======================================================================

A fanciful suggestion: "uncianniversary," a portmanteau word I created
from Latin "uncia," meaning a twelfth part, and "anniversary." Since a
month is one-twelfth of a year, a month's celebration could be an
"uncianniversary." I like the sound of it. A bit silly, yes. But I get
that way if I think in Latin for very long.

Hyperdictionary: Uncia
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/uncia

======================================================================

Google search strategy:

Google Web Search: "mensiversary"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=mensiversary

Google Web Search: "month's mind"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22month%27s+mind

======================================================================

Thanks for a very intriguing question, Cleric. I hope my speculations
on this matter provide a satisfying response to your query, which has
no cut-and-dried answer. Things which are cut and dried are seldom as
interesting as living things that change, grow, and sometimes tread on
your dreams.

Best,
Pink

---

Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 16 Dec 2003 16:57 PST

It appears that Merriam-Webster has taken official note of the trend
toward using "anniversary" in a looser sense. From a newgroup thread
on the subject:

"*Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed.:

[quote, from entry "anniversary"]

1 : the annual recurrence of a date marking a notable event; _broadly_
: a date that follows such an event by a specified period of time
measured in units other than years <the 6-month _anniversary_ of the
accident>"

Posted 10 Oct 2003 in alt.usage.english newsgroup
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&safe=off&selm=vscdovklo5e6u6dk146r94od83mofgsm9a%404ax.com

Awesome as usual, Pinkfreud. :)

I can't think of any other possibility - it must be lunaversary. This
conforms to the latin (anniversary comes from annus, meaning year),
but also fits well because we call in a month (moonth) after the moon.

Several people use the word online, but not enough to make it into the
dictionary. Here's one person's explaantion:

"an·ni·ver·sa·ry (n.) - The annually recurring date of a past event,
especially one of historical, national, or personal importance. From
the Latin "annus" (year) and "versarius" (returning).

it's always bothered me a bit when people say things like "our
three-week anniversary" or "my two-month anniversary" (as many people
do); since "anniversary" refers to something that recurs yearly, it's
never made sense to me to apply it to units of time measurement of
less than a year.

so, i substituted the Latin root "luna" (moon) for "anni" to make:

lu·na·ver·sa·ry (n.) - The monthly recurring date of a past event,
especially one of historical, national, or personal importance. From
the Latin "luna" (moon) and "versarius" (returning)."
http://www.woofmang.com/tales/four_month_ramble.shtml

I've always heard it as "monthiversary", albeit, a bit tongue in
cheek.  However, the word does have a web presence, if not a formal
dictionary entry.

There are at least four contenders, two of which are mentioned by
Robertskelton and Pafalafa, and two variants.  Try searching on Google
Web Search and Google Groups for "lunaversary", "luniversary",
"monthiversary", and "monthaversary".  None is generally accepted, but
all have been used.  "Luniversary" was even used once by Oliver
Wendell Holmes in the 19th century; but apparently it did not catch
on.

Mr. Richard P. Ebbert claims to have been campaigning for years to
have "menseversary" adopted. William F. Buckley, however, was not
sanguine of his success.

http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1282/21_54/93370298/p1/article.jhtml

hlabadie-ga