Menopause

[bainbrig]

Linguistics question. Why ‘pause’, with the implication of re-starting?

BB

[Cloverjo]

From the Greek pausis meaning cessation.

[Mamyalynne]

https://www.etymonline.com/word/menopause

[douglas9401]

Believe all that Greek stuff if you like. I believe it's from the silence that follows any remark percieved to disparage, intentional or otherwise, made to a flushing damsel just before she attacks.

[douglas9401]

perceived

[Peter Pedant]

because it seems that pausis / pausein meant to stop

alternatively Beenie
for you only
I have delved into a Homeric dictionary in order to find out how it was used in ancient greek ( oh god Naomi will go craaaaayzie when she finds out my little game)
and it kinda reminded me why I didnt do this at uni
An ancient linguist feels obliged to find ten uses of the verb and yap about each one .... and so we see

4.c. part. praes. to stop a person from doing or being, π. τινὰ ἀριστεύοντα to stop him from being first, id=Il., attic:—Pass. and Mid. to leave off doing or being, ἄνεμος μὲν ἐπαύσατο θύων left off blowing, Od.; the partic. omitted, αἷμα ἐπαύσατο the blood stopt [flowing], Il., etc.

just a section - of the paragraph
pauo - the future is pauso
αἷμα ἐπαύσατο the blood stopt [flowing]

heema is the first word and the second eh-porsato

and the entry just goes on and on

in short in ancient greek, it meant stopped without a restart

Language changes over time

[bainbrig]

Thanks all (except of course Douglas).

Makes sense now.

BillB