verbthird (-iō variant) conjugation
incipiō
incipiō (present infinitive incipere, perfect active incēpī, supine inceptum)
Classical[ɪŋˈkɪ.pi.oː]Ecclesiastical[in̠ʲˈt͡ʃiː.pi.o]
№ 411 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- to begin, to commence
Tū tamen malō servēs tua, et bonō tempore incipiēs.
[As for] you, however, I would rather you safeguard [your time], and [now is] the optimal moment for you to begin. (In other words, it is never too late to appreciate the value of a lifetime.)c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 1.1.5
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
initium faciō; nāvis nova incipitur.incipiō -ere incēpī — in Mille Verba, Nāvāle
begin
incipiō -ere, -cēpī — in De Bello Gallico III
we begin
incipimus — in Seneca, ch. XXI
begins
incipit — in Seneca, ch. XIII
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Incipere · Ordiri · Inchoare · Cœpisse
1. Incipere denotes the beginning, in opp. to the state of rest, which precedes and follows, consequently it is in opp. to cessare and desinere, desistere, finire; whereas ordiri (from ἔρδειν, radix,) in opp. to an advancement; consequently in opp. to continuare, and its intransitive pergere; lastly, inchoare (from conari) in opp. to ending and accomplishing, consequently in opp. to perficere, consummare, peragere, absolvere, etc. Cic. Off. i. 37. Ut incipiendi ratio fuerit, ita sit desinendi modus. Tusc. i. 49. Sen. Ep. 116. Plin. H. N. xi. 51. Plin. Pan. 54, 6. 57, 2. Ep. ix. 4. Quintil. xi. 3, 34. Tac. Agr. 32. Varro R. R. iii. 16. Apes cum evolaturæ sunt, aut etiam inciperunt, consonant vehementer. Cic. Fin. iv. 6. Hoc inchoati cujusdam officii est, non perfecti. Brut. 33. Liv. xl. 9. Plin. Ep. iii. 8, 7. Plin. H. N. x. 63. Tac. Dial. 33. Suet. Claud. 3. Cic. Fr. ap. Non. Perge, quæso, nec enim imperite exorsus es. 2. Cœpi has nearly the same words in opp. to it as incipere has; Sen. Cons. Polyb. 20. Quicquid cœpit, et desinit. Cic. Rab. Post. 2. Ovid, Ep. ix. 23; cœpi refers more to the action which is begun; incepi, more to the beginning which has been made. Cœpi is a sort of auxiliary verb; incepi is emphatic; hence cœpi has an infinitive, incipere a substantive, for its object. Cic. Verr. v. 10. Quum ver esse cœperat (sed cum rosam viderat, tum ver incipere arbitrabatur), dabat se labori. (iii. 157.)
Conjugation
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | incipiō | incipiēbam | incipiam | incēpī | incēperam | incēperō |
| 2nd sg. | incipis | incipiēbās | incipiēs | incēpistī | incēperās | incēperis |
| 3rd sg. | incipit | incipiēbat | incipiet | incēpit | incēperat | incēperit |
| 1st pl. | incipimus | incipiēbāmus | incipiēmus | incēpimus | incēperāmus | incēperimus |
| 2nd pl. | incipitis | incipiēbātis | incipiētis | incēpistis | incēperātis | incēperitis |
| 3rd pl. | incipiunt | incipiēbant | incipient | incēpērunt incēpēre | incēperant | incēperint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | incipiam | inciperem | incēperim | incēpissem |
| 2nd sg. | incipiās | inciperēs | incēperīs | incēpissēs |
| 3rd sg. | incipiat | inciperet | incēperit | incēpisset |
| 1st pl. | incipiāmus | inciperēmus | incēperīmus | incēpissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | incipiātis | inciperētis | incēperītis | incēpissētis |
| 3rd pl. | incipiant | inciperent | incēperint | incēpissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | incipior | incipiēbar | incipiar |
| 2nd sg. | inciperis incipere | incipiēbāris incipiēbāre | incipiēris incipiēre |
| 3rd sg. | incipitur | incipiēbātur | incipiētur |
| 1st pl. | incipimur | incipiēbāmur | incipiēmur |
| 2nd pl. | incipiminī | incipiēbāminī | incipiēminī |
| 3rd pl. | incipiuntur | incipiēbantur | incipientur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | incipiar | inciperer |
| 2nd sg. | incipiāris incipiāre | inciperēris inciperēre |
| 3rd sg. | incipiātur | inciperētur |
| 1st pl. | incipiāmur | inciperēmur |
| 2nd pl. | incipiāminī | inciperēminī |
| 3rd pl. | incipiantur | inciperentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | incipe | incipere |
| pres. 2nd pl. | incipite | incipiminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | incipitō | incipitor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | incipitō | incipitor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | incipitōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | incipiuntō | incipiuntor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | incipere | incipī |
| perfect infinitive | incēpisse | inceptum esse |
| future infinitive | inceptūrum esse | inceptum īrī |
| present participle | incipiēns incipiente, incipientem, incipientēs, incipientī, incipientia, incipientibus, incipientis, incipientīs, incipientium | — |
| perfect participle | — | inceptus incepta, inceptā, inceptae, inceptam, inceptārum, inceptās, incepte, inceptī, inceptīs, inceptō, inceptōrum, inceptōs |
| future participle | inceptūrus inceptūra, inceptūrā, inceptūrae, inceptūram, inceptūrārum, inceptūrās, inceptūre, inceptūrī, inceptūrīs, inceptūrō, inceptūrōrum, inceptūrōs, inceptūrum | incipiendus incipiundus |
gerundincipiendī, incipiendō, incipiendumsupineinceptum, inceptū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- incepto or conatu desistere
- to give up one's project.
- in incepto or conatu perstare
- to persevere in one's resolve.
- initium capere; incipere ab aliqua re
- to begin with a thing.
- bellum incipere, belli initium facere (B. G. 7. 1. 5)
- to commence hostilities.
incĭpĭo, cēpi, ceptum, 3 (archaic incepsit inceperit, Paul. ex Fest. p. 107 Müll.), v. a. and n. [in-capio; lit., to seize upon, lay hold of; opp. to desinere; hence, with the accessory idea of action),
I. to begin to do something, to take in hand (syn. incoho; in class. prose, viz. in Cic., only in the tempp. press., while coepi is used in the tempp. perff.); constr. usually with the inf., less freq. absol., with the acc., ab, or adv. of place or time.
I. Act.
(a). With inf.:
ut homines mortem vel optare incipiant vel certe timere desistant, Cic. Tusc. 1, 49, 117: huic incipio sententiae diffidere, id. ib. 5, 1, 3: prius quam incipit tinnire, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 42: bella gerere, Cic. N. D. 2, 3, 9: leges neglegere, id. Rep. 1, 43 fin.: queri cum multis incipiunt, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 23, § 56: nimis cito diligere, id. Lael. 21, 78: amare aliquem, id. ib. 16, 60: fossas complere, Caes. B. G. 5, 51, 4: rem frumentariam expedire, id. B. C. 1, 54, 4: triplicem aciem ducere, id. ib. 1, 64, 7; 2, 30, 1: cum maturescere frumenta inciperent, id. ib. 6, 29, 4; cf. id. ib. 3, 49, 1: cum primum pabuli copia esse inciperet, id. B. G. 2, 2, 2; cf.: ictus erat, qua crus esse incipit, Ov. M. 6, 255; 8, 474; 15, 256: opes pellere dominatione, Sall. H. 3, 61, 3: si res explicare incipiam, Nep. Pelop. 1: Bessus agere gratias incipit, Curt. 5, 12, 1: cenare, Suet. Aug. 74: promovere scalas, Tac. A. 15, 4 fin.: si dormire incipis ortu luciferi, Juv. 8, 11: male quod mulier facere incepit, nisi id efficere perpetrat, etc.... Si bene facere incepit, etc. (shortly afterward, occeperunt), Plaut. Truc. 2, 5, 12 and 14: satis nequam sum, utpote qui hodie inceperim Amare, id. Rud. 2, 5, 5.—(b). Absol.:
ut incipiendi ratio fuerit, ita sit desinendi modus, Cic. Off. 1, 37, 135; cf. Plin. Ep. 9, 4, 1; Sen. Ep. 116: dum incipimus, Quint. 11, 3, 144: dum deliberamus, quando incipiendum sit, incipere jam serum est, id. 12, 6, 3: in incipiendo, etc., id. 11, 1, 6: ac statim sic rex incipit, thus begins (to speak), Sall. J. 109 fin.; cf.: nec sic incipies, ut scriptor cyclicus olim: Fortunam Priami, etc., Hor. A. P. 136: sic incipit, with a foll. direct quotation, id. S. 2, 6, 79; Ov. M. 9, 281; and simply incipit, Hor. S. 1, 9, 21: sapere aude, Incipe, make a beginning, begin, id. Ep. 1, 2, 41; Juv. 4, 34: priusquam incipias, consulto opus est, Sall. C. 1, 6: turpe inceptu est, Ter. Phorm. 2, 4, 16: incipientes atque adhuc teneri (pueri), who are beginning to learn, beginners, Quint. 1, 2, 26: incipiens, id. 2, 5, 18; 2, 6, 5; 8 prooem. § 1; 3; 10, 7, 18: quoties madidum ver incipit, Juv. 9, 52 al. — (g). With acc. (once in Cic., once in Cæs., v. infra):
facinus audax incipit, Plaut. Aul. 3, 4, 1: facinus, Sall. C. 20, 3: pugilatum, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 13: iter, id. Cas. 4, 4, 2: aliquid novi negotii, Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 29: bellum (opp. deponere), Sall. J. 83, 1: tam prava, id. ib. 64, 2: indigna nobis, id. H. 2, 41, 8: opus, Liv. 7, 34, 13: bellum, id. 21, 21, 6; 26, 37, 9; 42, 43, 3: sementem, Verg. G. 1, 230: Maenalios versus, id. E. 8, 21: si id facere non potueris, quod, ut opinio mea fert, ne incipies quidem, Cic. Planc. 19, 48; Quint. 1, 12, 5: iter mihi incepi, Plaut. Cas. 2, 1, 16: tantum incepi operis, id. Men. 2, 3, 80: mandata, Tac. A. 12, 10; 4, 46: auspicia a parricidio, Just. 26, 2 init.: multa, Cat. ap. Gell. 16, 14, 2.— Pass.: tanta incepta res est, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 31: nuptiarum gratia haec sunt ficta atque incepta, Ter. And. 5, 1, 17; 3, 3, 7: si inceptam oppugnationem reliquissent, Caes. B. G. 7, 17, 6: quia dici extremum erat, proelium non inceptum, Sall. J. 21, 2: proelium incipitur, id. ib. 57, 3; 74, 2: saxis proelium incipitur, Tac. H. 5, 17: satis cito incipi victoriam, id. ib. 2, 25; id. A. 2, 5; 2, 76; 12, 67 fin.: iter inceptum celerant, Verg. A. 8, 90: inceptumque decurre laborem, id. G. 2, 39: inceptum frustra summitte furorem, id. A. 12, 832: deus me vetat Inceptos iambos Ad umbilicum adducere, Hor. Epod. 14, 7: in re incipiunda ad defendendam noxiam, Ter. Phorm. 1, 4, 48: in contentionibus aut incipiendis aut finiendis, Quint. 11, 3, 128: a tantis princeps incipiendus erat, Ov. F. 5, 570.—(d). With ab or an adv. of place or time:
a Jove incipiendum putat, Cic. Rep. 1, 36 (acc. to the Gr. of Aratus, ἐκ Διὸς ἀρχώμεσθα): ab illis incipit uxor, Juv. 6, 348; Quint. 10, 1, 46: incipiamus ab iis, id. 9, 2, 6: semper ab excusatione aetatis incipientem, id. 6, 3, 76: potissimum incipiam ab ea parte, id. 3, 7, 1: optime manus a sinistra parte incipit, in dextra deponitur, id. 11, 3, 106: amicitia incepta a parvis cum aetate accrevit simul, Ter. And. 3, 3, 7.— Pass. impers.: optime incipitur a longis, recte aliquando a brevibus, Quint. 9, 4, 92.II. Neutr., to begin to be, to begin, commence (rare but class.); constr. with abl. instrum., or absol.
(a). With abl.:
tertius sinus Acrocerauniis incipit montibus, Plin. 4, 1, 1, § 1: censere ut principium anni inciperet mense Decembri, Tac. A. 13, 10: verbum petere quo incipiant, Quint. 10, 7, 21.—(b). Absol.:
cum ver esse coeperat ... cum rosam viderat, tum incipere ver arbitrabatur, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 10, § 27: quoties incipit sensus aut desinit, Quint. 9, 4, 67: hic annus incipit vicesimus, Plaut. Capt. 5, 3, 3: narrationis incipit mihi initium, Ter. And. 4, 2, 26: jam tum inceperat turba inter eos, id. Eun. 4, 4, 58: tempus erat quo prima quies mortalibus aegris Incipit, Verg. A. 2, 269: mox Idumaea incipit et Palaestina, Plin. 5, 13, 14, § 68: epistula, quam incipiente febricula scripseras, Cic. Att. 7, 8, 2: incipientes curas principis onerari, Tac. A. 1, 19: incipiens adhuc et nondum adulta seditio, id. H. 1, 31: incipiens omnia sentit amor, Ov. A. A. 2, 648: Menander Syracusanus incipientis juventae, Plin. 8, 5, 5, § 14: incipiente aestate, id. 27, 13, 109, § 133: trixago incipientibus hydropicis efficax, id. 24, 15, 80, § 131: quem (honorem) et incipientes principes et desinentes adeo concupis cunt ut auferant, Plin. Pan. 57.—Hence, in-ceptum, i, n., a beginning, attempt, undertaking (freq. in historians and poets, but not in Cæs.; also rare in Cic.): cujus ego non modo factum, sed inceptum ullum conatumve contra patriam deprehendero, Cic. Cat. 2, 12, 27: servetur ad imum, Qualis ab incepto processerit (persona), from the beginning onwards, Hor. A. P. 127: permanere in incepto, Luccei. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14 fin.: a quo incepto studioque me ambitio mala detinuerat, Sall. C. 4, 2: cujus neque consilium neque inceptum ullum frustra erat, id. J. 7, 6; cf.: ni ea res longius nos ab incepto traheret, the subject, id. ib. 7 fin.: absistere incepto, Liv. 31, 26, 5: desistere incepto, Verg. A. 1, 37: haerere in incepto, id. ib. 2, 654: peragere inceptum, id. ib. 4, 452; cf.: perficere inceptum, Sall. J. 11 fin.: piget incepti, Verg. A. 5, 678: nunc ad inceptum redeo, Sall. J. 4, 9; 42, 5: turpe inceptum est, Ter. Phorm. 2, 4, 16.— In plur.: cupidus incepta patrandi, Sall. J. 70, 5: juventus Catilinae inceptis favebat, id. C. 17, 6: incepta mea inpedivit, id. H. 4, 61, 12; cf.: inceptis annue, diva, meis, Ov. Am. 3, 2, 56; and: di nostra incepta secundent, Verg. A. 7, 259: gravia et magna professa, Hor. A. P. 14.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
incipiō cēpī, ceptus, ere
1 in+capio, to take hold, take in hand, begin: ut incipiendi ratio fuerit, ita sit desinendi modus: Incipe, et consere dextram (i. e. the fight), V.: unde incipiam?: sic rex incipit (i. e. to speak), S.: Incipe, Mopse, prior, V.: sic incipit (with direct quotation), H.: Incipit huic, in answer to, O.: sapere aude, Incipe, H.: priusquam incipias, consulto opus est, S.: novi Negoti (alqd), T.: tam prava, S.: bellum, L.: Maenalios versūs, V.: Nuptiarum gratiā haec sunt facta atque incepta, T.: duobus inceptis verbis: incepta oppugnatio, Cs.: proelium incipitur, S.: iter inceptum celerant, V.: Inceptos iambos Ad umbilicum adducere, H.: In re incipiundā, T.: a tantis princeps incipiendus erat, O.: a Iove incipiendum putat: ab illis incipit uxor, Iu.: unde potius incipiam, quam ab eā civitate?: ante quam dicere incipio: rem frumentariam expedire, Cs.: cum primum pabuli copia esse inciperet, Cs.: effari, V.: dormire, fall asleep, Iu.—To have a beginning, begin, originate, arise: tum incipere ver arbitrabatur: Narrationis incipit mihi initium, T.: incipiente febriculā.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
- Proto-Italic*en
- Proto-Italic*en-
- Latinincipiō
substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti Proto-Italic *kapjō Archaic Latin kapiō Latin capiō Latin incipiō From in- + capiō (“to seize upon”, “to lay hold of”).
Balkano-Romance
- Romanianîncepe
- Romanianîncepere
- Aromanianntsep
- Aromanianntseapiri
Borrowings
- Englishincipit
- Englishincept
Rhaeto-Romance
- Romanshentschaiver
- Romanshentscheiver
- Romanshantschever
In English words that came into English from incipiō
- incipientincipiēns
- inceptioninceptiō
- incipienceincipientia
- inceptinceptus
- inceptiveinceptīvus
- inceptorinceptor