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Your word for today is: beginning, n.
beginning, n.
Pronunciation:/bɪˈgɪnɪŋ/
Forms:Also bi-, bygyn(n)yng; ME -unge.
Etymology: < begin v.1 + -ing suffix1.
1. a. The action or process of entering upon existence or upon action, or of bringing into existence; commencing, origination.a1225 Leg. Kath. 289As euch þing hefde beginnunge of his godlec.
a1300 Cursor Mundi 838Þar þai biginning gan to tak.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. 316Withouten begynnynge and withouten endynge.
1570 H. Billingsley tr. Euclid Elements Geom. i. f. 2,A line hath his beginning from a point.
1579 G. Fenton tr. F. Guicciardini Hist. Guicciardin vii. 397Maximilian assone as he was come to Trent, to giue beginning to the warre.
1670 J. Swan Speculum Mundi (ed. 4) iii. §1. 17The world‥was not for everlasting, but took beginning.
1883 J. A. Froude Short Stud. IV. ii. i. 171The beginning of change, like the beginning of strife, is like the letting out of water.
b. viewed as a definite fact belonging to anything extended in time or space.?c1225 (1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C. 6) (1972) 19Ed þe beginnunge of þe venite.
a1535 R. Hilles Commonplace Bk. in Fraser's Mag. (1858) Aug. 140All thyngs hath a begynyng.
1539 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes 9The beginnynge is halfe the hole.
1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 21Of a good begynnyng comth a good end.
1600 Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream v. i. 111That is the true beginning of our end.
a1780 J. Harris Philol. Enquiries (1781) ii. v. 117A beginning is that, which nothing necessarily precedes, but which something naturally follows.
1836 T. P. Thompson Exercises (1842) IV. 99As was shrewdly intimated, in respect of the question of Primogeniture this is only 'the beginning of the end.'
2. The point of time at which anything begins; absol. the time when the universe began to be.c1175 Lamb. Hom. 81Þis bitacneð þe world þet wes from biginnegge.
a1425 (1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Gen. i. 1In the bigynnyng God made of nouȝt heuene and erthe.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Hab. i. C,Thou o Lorde‥art from the begynnynge.
1611 Bible (A.V.) 1 John ii. 13Yee haue knowen him that is from the beginning.
1864 J. Bryce Holy Rom. Empire iii. 31Germany proclaims the era of 843 the beginning of her national existence.
3. a. That in which anything has its rise, or in which its origin is embodied; origin, source, fount.c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 73Þe shame þe þe man haueð of his sinne‥is þe biginnigge of fremfulle sinbote.
?c1225 (1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C. 6) (1972) 44Biginnunge & rote of al þis ilke reuðe.
1486 Bk. St. Albans, Her. A j b,Adam the begynnyng of man kynde.
1611 Bible (A.V.) Coloss. i. 18The head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the first borne from the dead.
1831 T. Carlyle Sartor Resartus (1838) ii. i. 101Thy true‥Beginning and Father is in Heaven.
†
b. A first cause, first principle. Obs.1587 Sir P. Sidney & A. Golding tr. P. de Mornay Trewnesse Christian Relig. vi. 71The Magies‥held three beginnings, whom‥they called Oromases, Mitris, and Ariminis, (that is to say) God, Mynd, and Soule.
c. concr. The head or chief extremity.1483 Cath. Angl. 26Begynnynge, caput.
1578 J. Banister Hist. Man iv. f. 61v,The second Muscle begynneth at the same Tubercle‥with a sharpe begynnyng.
4. The earliest or first part of any space of time, of a book, a journey, etc.1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. 399In þe bygynnynge of Jule þys batayle was ydo.
c1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 385As Lyncolnyence saiþ in þe bygynnynge of his dictis.
1473 J. Warkworth Chron. 11In the begynnynge of the moneth of Octobre.
1549 Bk. Com. Pr., 3rd Collect Grace,Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day.
1611 Bible (A.V.) Num. x. 10In the beginnings of your monethes, ye shall blow with the trumpets ouer your burnt offerings.
1743 J. Morris Serm. ii. 35He explains himself in the begining of this chapter.
5. The initial or rudimentary stage; the earliest proceedings. Often in pl.c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 83Þerfore wurð here ende werse þene here biginninge.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 72Þane dyaþ þet is to þe guoden begynnynge of liue.
1549 Coverdale et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. II. Gal. iiii. f. xiiii,Vnder the grosse beginnynges of this worlde.
1611 Bible (A.V.) Job viii. 7Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
1690 W. Walker Idiomatologia Anglo-Lat. Pref. i,A considerable encrease to my beginnings.
1776 A. Smith Inq. Wealth of Nations I. i. x. 156People‥have aquired great fortunes from small beginnings.
1790 E. Burke Refl. Revol. in France 10The beginnings of confusion with us in England.
1876 J. R. Green Short Hist. Eng. People i. (1882) ix. §. 597The beginnings of physical science were more slow and timid there.
†
6. An undertaking. Obs.1481 Myrrour of Worlde (Caxton) iii. xxiv. 192In alle begynnynges and in all operacions the name of god ought to be called.
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