menopausing (English)
Where does "menopausing" come from?
The English adjective 'menopausing' is formed from 'menopause' combined with the suffix '-ing'[1]. The base word 'menopause' entered English from French 'ménopause', which was coined in 1821 by the French physician Charles de Gardanne[3]. The French term combines 'méno-', derived from Ancient Greek 'μήν' meaning 'month', with '-pause'[2][3]. The Greek noun 'μήν' traces back through Proto-Hellenic '*méns' to the Proto-Indo-European '*mḗh₁n̥s' meaning 'moon, month', which likely derives from '*meh₁-' meaning 'to measure'[4]. The second part of 'menopause' comes from Ancient Greek 'παῦσις' meaning 'pause', formed from 'παύω' meaning 'stop, end' and the suffix '-σῐς'[2][5].
Open questions
- The Proto-Indo-European root '*mḗh₁n̥s' is considered likely to derive from '*meh₁-' to measure, but this connection involves reconstructed forms. [4]
Full etymology tree
- menopausing (English), 'Going through the menopause.'
- suffix menopause (English), 'The period in a woman's life when menstruation becomes irregular and less frequent before eventually stopping altogether, usually accompanied by a range of unpleasant symptoms; the period spanning perimenopause up to postmenopause.'
- borrowed ménopause (French), 'menopause (period in a woman's life when menstruation becomes irregular and less frequent before eventually stopping altogether)'
- derived menopausis (Latin)
- derived μήν (mḗn) (Ancient Greek), 'Attic form of μείς (meís, “month”)'
- inherited *méns (Proto-Hellenic), 'month'
- inherited *mḗh₁n̥s (Proto-Indo-European), 'moon'
- derived *meh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to measure'
- inherited *mḗh₁n̥s (Proto-Indo-European), 'moon'
- inherited *méns (Proto-Hellenic), 'month'
- derived παῦσις (paûsis) (Ancient Greek), 'stopping, ceasing'
- suffix παύω (paúō) (Ancient Greek), 'to make cease'
- suffix -σις (-sis) (Ancient Greek), 'Added to verb stems to form abstract nouns or nouns of action, process, or result'
- derived μήν (mḗn) (Ancient Greek), 'Attic form of μείς (meís, “month”)'
- derived menopausis (Latin)
- borrowed ménopause (French), 'menopause (period in a woman's life when menstruation becomes irregular and less frequent before eventually stopping altogether)'
- suffix -ing (English), 'Used to form present participles of verbs.'
- suffix menopause (English), 'The period in a woman's life when menstruation becomes irregular and less frequent before eventually stopping altogether, usually accompanied by a range of unpleasant symptoms; the period spanning perimenopause up to postmenopause.'
Ancestors
- menopause (English)
- ing (English)
Sources
- menopausing (English) - Wiktionary
- menopause (English) - Wiktionary
- ménopause (French) - Wiktionary
- μήν (mḗn) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- παῦσις (paûsis) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris