Hiatus

hiatus, n. : “A gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break” (American Heritage High School Dictionary) (pronounced hī-ā’-tes)

I know this word isn’t as unusual as some of the ones I’ve done before…but it fit so well for this week I couldn’t resist (plus if you keep reading, there’s a bonus word that is more unusual and means something similar). I’ve taken quite a hiatus from updating this blog, and plan to change that. So…hiatus is the word of the week!

Actually quite old (1560s!), “hiatus” comes from a Latin word denoting a break, gap, or opening, and is related to yawn and gape, according to the online etymology dictionary. Even though the etymology dictionary refers to the physical gaping shape of the mouth during a yawn, I find it humorous that it could also mean the break in speaking or listening that a yawn causes.

 

Mrs. Jones’s even stream of words suffered a momentary hiatus as Billy opened his mouth in a gargantuan yawn, stifling the sound reaching his ears.

 

“Has that crazy blogger lady updated her blog yet? It’s been like a year.”

“Yeah, she took quite the hiatus. But it wasn’t a year; it was only like five months. And she did update it just today!”

 

If you’re still reading, congrats! Here’s the bonus word: lacuna. It is also a noun, and is related to hiatus. It means “an empty space or a missing part; a gap” (American Heritage High School Dictionary). It’s so unusual I couldn’t resist sneaking it into this post. So enjoy, and happy Tuesday!