Where does “beginning” come from?
Beginning derives from Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, and Proto-Germanic biginnaną, formed with the prefix bi- from Proto-Indo-European h₁epi meaning "toward" or "at."
beginning (English): The act of doing that which begins anything;...
Definitions
- The act of doing that which begins anything;...
Ancestry of “beginning”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | begynnyng | — |
| 2 | Old English | beginnende | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | biginnandz | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | biginnaną | to begin |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bi- | by, at |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |