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As a French speaker it make total sense to me; it just describes it.

I just searched quickly how to explain that the semi-colon is somehow half a colon. I couldn't find anything.

I'm not a French speaker, but those terms make perfect sense to me also, even though I've only just heard them here for the first time.

Maybe it has to do with the amount of time you pause when reading aloud? You pause for less time at a semi-colon then at a "full" colon.