begin

English Online Dictionary. What means begin‎? What does begin mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English beginnen, from Old English beginnan (“to begin”), from Proto-West Germanic *biginnan, from Proto-Germanic *biginnaną (“to begin”), from be- + base verb *ginnaną also found in Old English onginnan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɪˈɡɪn/, /bəˈɡɪn/, /biˈɡɪn/
• Rhymes: -ɪn

Verb

begin (third-person singular simple present begins, present participle beginning, simple past began, past participle begun)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To start, to initiate or take the first step into something.
2. (intransitive) To be in the first stage of some situation

3. (intransitive) To come into existence.

Synonyms

• commence
• initiate
• start

Derived terms

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: bigin
  • Aukan: bigin
  • Saramaccan: bigí

Translations

Noun

begin (plural begins)

1. (nonstandard) Beginning; start.

References

• “begin”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “begin”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Bengi, being, beïng, binge

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bəˈɣɪn/
• Hyphenation: be‧gin
• Rhymes: -ɪn

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch begin, from Old Dutch *bigin, from Proto-West Germanic [Term?], from the verb *biginnan (“to begin”) (whence beginnen). Cognate with Old High German bigin and Old Frisian biginn. Compare with different prefix Old Dutch anagen, anagenni (“beginning”).

Noun

begin n (uncountable, diminutive beginnetje n)

1. start, beginning

   Synonyms: aanvang, start

Descendants

• Negerhollands: begin

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

begin

1. inflection of beginnen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

Anagrams

• benig

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *bigin, from Proto-West Germanic [Term?], from the verb *biginnan (“to begin”). Cognate with Old High German bigin, Old Frisian biginn.

Noun

begin n

1. beginning, start
2. origin, source

Declension

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: begin
• Limburgish: begin

Further reading

• “beghin (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “begin”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Volapük

Noun

begin (nominative plural begins)

1. beginning

Declension