Pauza

Pauza is a term used in Romanian, Polish, Turkish and several other languages to denote a temporary interruption or break in an activity. It can refer to a moment of silence in speech, a short break during work or study, or a pause within a performance or broadcast. In everyday use, phrases such as pauza de masa in Romanian describe a lunch break, and pauza intre acte describes an intermission in theatre.

The word is cognate with the English pause and the Spanish pausa, and most likely derives from Latin pausa, which in turn comes from Greek pausis, both terms describing a stopping or cessation.

In music, a pauza denotes a rest, a notational silence of a specified duration. In theatre and cinema, a pauza can indicate an intermission between acts or program segments. In broadcasting and media, pauses or breaks interrupt content, often for advertisement or transition. In everyday life, a pauza marks breaks during work, study, or travel, including meals or rest periods. In computing and multimedia devices, the pause control suspends playback temporarily.

See also: pause, rest, intermission.