intermittency

The word 'intermittency' is built upon the Latin verb intermittere, meaning "to leave off, to interrupt, to pause". This verb itself is a compound of inter- ("between") and mittere ("to send"). The literal sense was "to send between", implying a break or gap inserted into a sequence. Over time, the meaning evolved from the active act of interrupting to describe the resulting state or quality of being broken by intervals. The suffix -ency, indicating a state or condition, was added to form the abstract noun, solidifying the modern meaning of the characteristic of stopping and starting at irregular intervals.

Structure: inter (between) + mitt (send) + ency (noun suffix) - inter: Latin origin, meaning "between, among". A prefix indicating location or relation between things. - mitt: Latin origin, from the verb mittere, meaning "to send, to let go, to throw". This root appears in many English words related to sending or dispatching. - ency: Latin origin, from -entia, a noun-forming suffix denoting a state, quality, or condition.