Hiatus
/haɪˈeɪtəs/noun
A pause, break, or gap in continuity.
Did you know?Latin hiare, the source of hiatus, meant “to gape” or “stand open,” linking ordinary pauses with images of yawning mouths and cosmic voids.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰeh₁-
“To gape, yawn, or stand open”
Ancient Greek
Greek
khaos
“A yawning or gaping void”
Ancient Greek
Greek
khasma
“A chasm, gulf, or gaping opening”
Classical Latin
Latin
hiāre
“To stand open, gape, or yawn”
Classical Latin
Latin
hiātus
“An opening, gap, rupture, or yawn”
16th Century
English
hiatus
“A gap or interruption, especially in writing or continuity”
Modern English
English
hiatus
“A pause, break, or interval”