Beginlijn

Beginlijn is a Dutch noun that literally means “starting line” or “beginning line.” The term is not a standardized technical term in Dutch and is encountered mainly in descriptive or informal contexts. In most professional domains, more precise terms such as startlijn, startpunt, of grenslijn are preferred, depending on the specific field.

Usage and contexts

In sports and races, the more common word is startlijn, though beginlijn may appear in historical or descriptive texts or in translations from other languages. In civil engineering, urban planning, or logistics, beginlijn can be used to refer to the initial boundary line of a project area or to mark where a workflow or route begins in a diagram or plan. In such contexts the exact meaning is typically clarified by accompanying labels or by choosing a more specific term already established in the field.

Relation to other terms

Because beginlijn is not widely standardized, its interpretation relies on context. Related Dutch terms include startlijn (the literal equivalent in many cases), startpunt (starting point), and grenslijn (boundary line). In typography and document formatting, the first line of a paragraph is usually described with terms like eerste regel or inspringing rather than beginlijn.

Etymology and usage notes

Beginlijn combines begin (start) with lijn (line), reflecting a general concept of a line that marks the start of something. If encountered, the exact meaning should be inferred from the surrounding text or clarified with more precise terminology used in the relevant domain.