Talk:tertian

appearing every other day
describes a fever, especially a malarial fever, with symptoms that appear every other day Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 The entry of every other is defined as every second though; which one is correct? --Backinstadiums (talk) 13:29, 7 January 2020 (UTC) --Backinstadiums (talk) 13:29, 7 January 2020 (UTC)


 * …It's the same thing. Ƿidsiþ 13:40, 7 January 2020 (UTC). Oh I see what you're asking - you mean every second, or every third day? Yeah I agree it does seem confusing. Weirdly, the OED says "Characterized by the occurrence of a paroxysm every third (i.e. every alternate) day", which implies that, yes, "every third day" in this case means what I would call "every other day". One of my desk dictionaries clarifies: "recurring every second day (the fever recurring every third day by inclusive reckoning)". So our definition needs changing. Ƿidsiþ 13:45, 7 January 2020 (UTC)