Etymology: < Middle French pause break or rest in performing music (1393; French pause ) and its etymon classical Latin pausa cessation, intermission, respite, probably < post-classical Latin pausare pause v.¹, although this is apparently first attested later. The general sense ‘short interruption of an activity’ is apparently first attested later in French (1478–80). Compare Old Occitan, Occitan pausa (a1150), Portuguese pausa (1290), Catalan pausa (c1390), Italian pausa (15th cent.; 1695 or earlier in sense ‘musical sign denoting a pause’), Spanish pausa (1423 in sense 1a; 1377 or earlier in sense ‘space of time’). Compare also Middle Dutch pause (early 16th cent.; Dutch pauze).A derivation of classical Latin pausa < ancient Greek παῦσις cessation ( < παύειν to cease, stop + -σις -sis suffix) is problematic in view of the disparity of form. In sense 4 originally an absolute use of the verbal base form in pause button n., pause control n. at pause v.¹ Compounds. With to give pause (see Phrases 1) compare classical Latin pausam dāre . In Phrases 3 after Hebrew hefseq; in phrase in pause after Hebrew behefseq.

Etymology: Either < pause n., or < post-classical Latin pausare to cease, rest (Vetus Latina: see note). Compare Italian pausare (early 12th cent.), Old Occitan pausar (13th cent. in sense ‘to stop or rest temporarily in some place’; chiefly in senses corresponding to pose v.¹), Spanish pausar (1428 or earlier in sense ‘to pause in an utterance’; 1062 or earlier in senses corresponding to pose v.¹), Portuguese pausar (14th cent.), Catalan †pausar (c1500), and also Middle Dutch pausen (1488), pauseiren (second half of the 15th cent.; Dutch pauseeren (now rare)), Middle Low German pausēren, pausīren, Middle High German pūsen, German pausieren (1449).For the usual Romance reflexes of post-classical Latin pausare see pose v.¹ Post-classical Latin pausare is < ancient Greek παυσ- , aorist stem of παῦειν to cease, stop, of uncertain origin; compare use of Greek παῦσαι (aorist imperative) ‘stop!’ in Plautus ( Trinummus 187); compare also classical Latin pausa pause n., which probably implies currency of the verb in classical Latin. With the formation compare e.g. classical Latin malaxāre malax v.

Etymology: Origin unknown.