începuturi

Începuturi is a Romanian noun meaning beginnings or origins. It refers to the initial phase of a period, event, or process and is used to indicate how something comes into being and develops over time. The word is the plural form of început and appears in diverse contexts to discuss origins rather than conclusions.

Etymology and form: The term derives from the verb a începe, meaning to begin. The noun begun as început and, through ordinary Romanian pluralization, takes the form începuturi for the plural.

Contexts of use: In history and archaeology, începuturi is used to address the origins of states, cultures, or practices. In science, it denotes the onset of phenomena, such as the începuturi ale unui proces natural or the first signs of a disease. In philosophy and literature, the word can describe the genesis of ideas, narratives, or movements, and in journalism it may introduce background sections that explain origins.

Cultural and linguistic notes: Beginnings are a common theme across disciplines, and începuturi appears in academic, literary, and public discourse to situate events within their initial conditions. The term often accompanies discussions of development, evolution, and causal sequences, emphasizing how conditions at the start shape subsequent trajectories.

See also: origin, beginnings, genesis, inception.