Initiaalwoord

Initiaalwoord is a Dutch term used in typography and textual studies to denote the first word of a textual segment—such as a chapter, section, or opening paragraph—that is sometimes highlighted or styled to mark the beginning of that segment. The emphasis can be accomplished by a larger initial letter, a decorative font, or other typographic treatment, a practice rooted in historical manuscript traditions.

In manuscript culture, the opening word often appears together with an initiaal or decorative initial letter that may extend into the following lines; this served both aesthetic and navigational purposes, signaling the start of a new text unit. In modern publishing, the explicit term initiaalwoord is less common; editors more often describe the technique as a drop cap or an emphasized initial word.

Relation to related concepts: The term is closely linked to initiaal (the enlarged initial letter) and to incipit (the actual opening words of a text). While an initiaalwoord focuses on the word as a unit and its visual prominence, incipit identifies the starting phrase itself; sometimes the two intersect when the initial word is also the first word of the incipit.

Usage today tends to be decorative rather than functional, appearing in book design, magazines, and digital interfaces as a stylistic feature at chapter openings. In plain text or accessibility contexts, such embellishment may be omitted to preserve readability.