Where does “hiatus” come from?

Hiatus comes from Latin hiatus, the past participle of hiāre (to gape or open), derived from Proto-Italic hiāō and Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeh₁y-, meaning to yawn or open.

hiatus (English): A gap in a series, making it incomplete; An...

Definitions

  1. A gap in a series, making it incomplete; An...

Ancestry of “hiatus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinhiātusa hiatus, opening (especially of the mouth), gap, aperture, cleft
2Latinhiōto yawn, gape
3Proto-Italichiāō—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰh₁i-eh₂-to gape, be wide open
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰeh₁y-to yawn, gape; to gape, be wide open; to gape,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰih₁-—

Words derived from “hiatus”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰih₁- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeh₁y- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰh₁i-eh₂- →
hiatus — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer