intermittent

The word "intermittent" originates from the Latin verb intermittere, a compound of inter- ("between") and mittere ("to send, to let go"). The literal sense was "to leave off, to leave an interval between sending or releasing". This evolved into the meaning of ceasing or pausing at intervals. The present participle form intermittens ("leaving gaps between") passed into English via French, solidifying its modern adjectival meaning. Thus, the core logic of sending or releasing something (mitt) with breaks in between (inter) directly informs the contemporary definition of something that stops and starts periodically.

Structure: inter (between) + mitt (send) + ent (adjective suffix) - inter: Latin origin, meaning "between, among". A prefix indicating location or relationship in the middle. - mitt: Latin origin, from the verb mittere, meaning "to send, to let go, to throw". This is the root element. - ent: Latin origin, the present participle suffix -ens, -entis, forming adjectives meaning "doing or being the action of the verb".