beginning, n.

 1.

 a. The action or process of entering upon existence or upon action, or of bringing into existence; commencing, origination.

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.

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.

 2. 

The point of time at which anything begins; absol. the time when the universe began to be.

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.

 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.

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.

 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.

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.

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.