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Origin documented
“In a moment”
What it means
Very shortly.
Where it comes from
A moment was once a defined quantity of time: ninety seconds, being one fortieth of an hour. Bede set out the division in the eighth century.
How sure are we?
The precise medieval sense is well documented, and for around a thousand years asking someone to wait a moment was a request with a specific duration. The vagueness is modern.