mora
/ˈmɔːrə/
noun
Origin
Latin
mora — delay, pause, stop
Overview
Meaning Now
- A unit of time in phonology, usually corresponding to the duration of a short syllable.
- A delay, pause, or hindrance.
Literal older meaning
delay, lingering, or period of time
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
mora
Earliest period
Classical Latin
Journey
The term was adopted by linguists from the Latin concept of 'mora' (delay) to describe the temporal weight of syllables in metrics and prosody. In languages like Japanese, the mora functions as a fundamental rhythmic unit, distinct from the syllable.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
mora
“delay, pause”
- Late Latin
mora
“interval of time”
- Modern English (Phonology)
mora
“unit of phonological timing”
Borrowed into linguistics in the late 19th century.
Connections
Word parts
mora
root
delay, duration
Related words
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Related to mora
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.