Alapítás

Alapítás is a Hungarian noun meaning founding or establishment. It denotes both the act of creating something that will have a lasting existence and the resulting entity itself, such as a company, an institution, an association, a foundation, or a town.

Etymology: The word derives from the verb alapítani, “to found,” which in turn comes from alap, meaning base or foundation. The suffix -ítás forms a noun indicating the action or process of performing that verb.

In legal and administrative usage, the founding of a legal entity is typically formalized in a founding document called az alapító okirat, or sometimes az alapító szerződés. The document specifies the purpose, governance rules, initial capital, and membership of the founders. The establishment is routinely recorded in official registers, such as the Cégbíróság (Company Court) or a foundation registry.

Historically, alapítás is used to describe the creation of educational institutions, religious communities, settlements, municipalities, and other enduring bodies. In legal and historical texts, the term often appears alongside charter materials or acts that define the rights and obligations of the founders and the future entity.

Common collocations include alapító okirat (founding charter), alapító (founder), alapító tag (founding member), and alapítási dátum (date of establishment). The concept remains central to discussions of organizational origin and institutional development in Hungarian discourse.