boshlangich

Boshlang'ich is an Uzbek adjective meaning “initial,” “beginning,” or “elementary.” It is used to describe the first or most basic level of a thing, such as a stage in a process or a level of education.

Origin and form: The word is formed from the verb boshlamoq (to begin) with the suffix -gich, which in Uzbek creates adjectives indicating relation to an action or state. The term boshlang'ich literally conveys “that which begins” or “initial.” The apostrophe in boshlang'ich marks a phonetic boundary typical of Uzbek orthography.

Usage: In education, boshlang'ich ta'lim refers to primary or elementary education, and boshlang'ich sinf denotes an elementary grade. The term also applies to the initial stage of programs, systems, or rules, for example boshlang'ich qoidalar (initial rules) or boshlang'ich tahlil (preliminary analysis), illustrating its broader sense of beginnings or fundamentals.

See also: o'rta ta'lim (secondary education), maktab (school). Note that in Cyrillic Uzbek the same word is written бошланғич, while in modern Uzbek Latin script it is boshlang'ich.