Mindenekeltt

Mindenekeltt is not a standard Hungarian spelling; the widely accepted form is mindenekelőtt, an adverb meaning "above all" or "primarily." The variant without the diacritic, written here as mindenekeltt, may appear as a misspelling or nonstandard form in some texts. In formal Hungarian, the diacritic-rich spelling is preferred to avoid ambiguity.

Usage and function: Mindenekelőtt is a sentence-initial adverb used to foreground a point, equivalent to "primarily" or "above all." It is typically placed at the beginning of a clause: "Mindenekelőtt tisztáznunk kell a tényeket." It can also appear deeper in a sentence in slightly more formal constructions. In standard writing, the word should be spelled with the diacritics; the nonstandard form is usually treated as an orthographic error.

Etymology and notes: The expression is formed from minden (everything) and előtt (before), conveying the idea of prioritizing or prioritizing before everything else. It has a long-standing presence in Hungarian prose and rhetoric. In modern usage, it remains a formal or emphatic marker, with synonyms such as elsősorban, legfőképp, or a főként that can be used in similar contexts.

See also: mindenekelőtt.