The word semester comes from Latin semestris, six months. In Ancient Rome, holders of public offices had a tenure of six months. In 18th century France, semester was used to denote the holiday period granted to military officers.
The modern use of semester also differs between languages. In English, the word refers to a study period at schools and universities. In the USA there are two semesters, spring and fall. In the UK three are three, usually called terms, autumn, spring, and summer. The sense of study period comes from German Semester. In Swedish, this is termin.
Semester in Swedish means holiday or vacation. It is not six months long, but at least five weeks with pay.
Semester is a typical false friend in English and Swedish. With the same origin, the word has very different meanings in the two languages. You can read more about false friends here.
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