alku

Alku is a Finnish noun meaning the beginning or origin of something. It denotes the starting point of a process, event, or period and can refer to the initial phase of a situation or the source from which something develops. In everyday use, it appears in phrases such as "tapahtuman alku" (the start of the event) or in constructs describing beginnings, for example when talking about the early part of a sequence or story.

The word can also be found in related forms connected to origin or initiation. For instance, the sense of origin is present in compounds like "alkuperäinen" (original) or in expressions that refer to the start of something. The term is versatile in both concrete and figurative language, including discussions of time, history, or process.

Etymology: Alku is native to Finnish and has cognates in other Finnic languages. A closely related term in Estonian is algus, meaning beginning, which reflects shared Proto-Finnic roots. The precise historical development is discussed in linguistic sources, but the basic sense—start or origin—has long been established in Finnish.

Usage notes: In literature and rhetoric, Alku can occur as a focal point to emphasize the start of a narrative or argument. In everyday language, it coexists with related concepts such as loppu (end) and aloitus (start or initiation).

See also: loppu, alkuperäinen, aloitus, alussa.