English → Latin
“pause” in Latin
intermissiōintermission, interruptiondistīnctiōdifference, distinction; sign of interpunction, punctuation markreticeōto be silent, keep silent; to refrain from answering; to keep silent or secret, concealintercapēdōinterruption; intermission; interval; pause; respiterespīrātiōexhaling; breathing, respirationmoraa duration of time before an event takes place, delay; a delay in the performance of an action, putting off; hindranceinterpōnōto put, place or lay between or among; to insert, interpose or introduce (often in a bad way); to pledgeintervallumThe open space within the vallum of a camp or between palisades or ramparts.; interval, distance; interval of time, pausdistinguōto distinguish; to separate, divide or part; to adorn or decorateintermittōto interrupt; to stop (temporarily); to omit
The English word pause itself goes back to Latin pausa.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
pause s.
intermissio (a cessation for a time; intermission): in tervallum (space between beginning and end): distinctio (in music): reticentia (when one is about to speak but refrains): intercapedo (interval between breaking off or suspending an action and resuming it; e.g., intercapedinem scribendi facere; intercapedo canendi): respiratio, mora (delay): ☞ pausa is an obsolete word, not found in the best prose; cessatio is = inactivity: after a pause, mora quadam interposita: there is often a pause even in the most active life, ab actione saepe fit intermissio (not remissio): to make a pause; Vid. PAUSE, v.
pause v.
moram facere, interponere (general term): ☞ not pausam facere or pausare.
In speaking, paullum respirare; intervallo or intervallis dicere: not to make a pause, sine intervallis loqui (after Cic., De Or., 3, 48, 185, where we find sine intervallis loquacitas); also, uno tenore dicere (to speak without intermission).
(In reading)(In reading), distinguere (to observe the proper stops).
(In singing)(In singing), intermittere.
(In drinking)(In drinking), intermittere; e.g., bibunt aves quaedam intermittentes.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for pause?
- The usual Latin words for “pause” are intermissiō, distīnctiō, reticeō; also intercapēdō, respīrātiō, mora. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.