caesura
UK[siːˈzjʊərə]US[səˈʒʊrə]
n
A pause near the middle of a line of verse, often coinciding with a break in the sense.
n
A break or pause in a sequence or activity.
Morpheme Breakdown
caes
ura
caes
cut
ura
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'caesura' has a direct and vivid origin in Latin, stemming from the verb 'caedere', meaning 'to cut'. The specific form derives from its past participle stem 'caes-', combined with the noun suffix '-ura', which denotes the result of an action. This literally creates the meaning "a cutting" or "the result of cutting." In the specialized context of Latin and later English prosody, this concrete act of cutting was metaphorically applied to describe the deliberate rhythmic pause or break within a poetic line. Thus, the term's journey from a physical action in Latin to a technical term for a metrical pause in English demonstrates a clear semantic evolution from the literal to the abstract artistic domain.
Analysis
Structure: caes (cut) + ura (noun suffix)
caes (Latin origin, from the past participle stem of 'caedere', meaning 'to cut, to strike down'); ura (Latin noun-forming suffix, indicating an action, result, or condition).
Examples
The poet used a strong caesura to create a dramatic halt in the middle of the line.
There was a brief caesura in the conversation as everyone considered the news.
The symphony's movement featured a sudden caesura, a moment of total silence before the finale.