Stopppunkt

Stopppunkt is a term used in several fields to denote a predefined pause, a stop location, or a moment of cessation. The concept centers on a clear point at which activity is halted or redirected, whether in transport planning, software development, or narrative analysis. Because the term is not standardized across languages, its exact meaning depends on context.

Etymology and spelling: The word combines "stop" with "punkt" (point) and reflects influence from Germanic languages. Variants include stoppunkt and stopppunkt, the latter sometimes arising from morphological affixes or typographic conventions that duplicate the consonant.

Applications in transportation: In transit planning and railway operations, a stopppunkt may refer to a designated location where vehicles halt for passenger exchange or service adjustments, distinct from a full station or terminus.

Computing and software development: In debugging or workflow automation, a stopppunkt can denote a breakpoint or intentional pause in a process, used to inspect state or synchronize steps.

Narrative and analysis: Some writers and theorists use stopppunkt to describe a deliberate pause in pacing—a moment where the narrative halts to emphasize detail, shift tone, or prepare a transition to the next scene.

See also: halt, breakpoint, station stop.