pause
UK[pɔːz]US[pɔːz]
n
A temporary stop in action or speech.
v
To stop something temporarily.
Etymology
The word 'pause' entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed from the Old French 'pause', which itself derived from the Latin 'pausa', meaning 'a halt, stop, cessation'. The Latin term originated from the Greek 'pausis', sharing the same core meaning. The Greek verb 'pauein', meaning 'to cause to cease, stop', is the ultimate source. The conceptual journey is direct: from the ancient Greek idea of bringing an activity to a stop, through Latin and French, to the modern English sense of a temporary interruption or break in any process.
Analysis
This word is a simplex loanword from Latin via French. Its spelling and form have been borrowed as a whole unit.
Examples
There was a brief pause in the conversation before she continued.
He decided to pause the movie to answer the phone.
The music faded out, leaving a moment of silence in the pause between movements.