LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

initium

initium n (genitive initiī or initī)
Classical[ɪˈnɪ.ti.ũː]Ecclesiastical[iˈnit.t͡si.um]
№ 865 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. neuterbeginning, start
    Eorum una pars, quam Gallos obtinere dictum est, initium capit a flumine RhodanoAnother part of the country, which has already been said to contain the Gauls, takes its origin by the Rhone river.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 1.1
  2. neutera going in, entrance
  3. in pluralneuterrites, mysteries
  4. neuterinitiative, first move

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

prīma pars reī; initium annī.
initium -ī n — in Mille Verba, Tempus et Numerī
the beginning
initium — in Seneca, ch. XXII

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Initium · Principium · Primordium

1. Initium denotes the beginning in an abstract sense, as the mere point from which a thing begins, in opp. to exitus. Cic. Rosc. Com. 13, 39. Tusc. i. 38. Brut. 34. Sen. Ep. 9. N. Q. iii. 29; whereas principium denotes the beginning as a concrete notion, as that part of the whole which stands before the other parts in things, and goes before them in actions, in opp. to extremum. Cic. Cleunt. 4. Orat. 61, 204. Cæc. 15, 44. In initium the beginning is made only with reference to time; in principium the foundation also is laid with reference to space. The initium is pushed out of the way by that which follows; the principium serves as a basis for that which follows. The initia philosophiæ are the rudiments over which the scholar goes, and which are superseded by further studies; the principia are the fundamental principles, to which he must always recur. Initio usually means “at the beginning, but differently (or, not at all) afterwards;” whereas principio means from the very beginning, and so onwards. 2. Primordium is a more solemn and comprehensive term than principium, and supposes a whole of great extent, the beginning of which is so far removed that one can distinguish a merely apparent beginning from the actual and primeval source and origin. (iii. 163.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeinitiuminitia
genitiveinitiī
initī		initiōrum
dativeinitiōinitiīs
accusativeinitiuminitia
ablativeinitiōinitiīs
vocativeinitiuminitia

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

initium dicendi facere
to begin to speak.
initio anni, ineunte anno
at the beginning of the year.
ab exiguis initiis proficisci
to start from small beginnings.
elementa; initia or principia rerum
the elements.
initium capere; incipere ab aliqua re
to begin with a thing.
initium facere, ducere, sumere (alicuius rei)
to commence a thing.
bellum incipere, belli initium facere (B. G. 7. 1. 5)
to commence hostilities.

ĭnĭtĭum, ĭi, n. ineo,
I. a going in, en trance.
I. A beginning, commencement (syn.: principium, exordium).
A. Lit.: bonis initiis orsus tribunatus, tristes exitus habuit consulatus, id. Brut. 34, 128: initio accusationis, id. de Or. 1, 26, 121: initium capere, Caes. B. G. 1, 1: dicendi initium sumere, Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 1: facere initium confligendi, id. Phil. 14, 14, 36: caedis initium ab aliquo facere, id. ib. 5, 7, 20: male ponere initia, id. Att. 10, 18, 2: ducere ab aliqua re, id. ib. 9, 9, 2: ab initio res quem ad modum facta sint, exponemus, Cic. Rosc. Am. 5, 14: ab ultimo initio repetere, Auct. Her. 1, 9, 14: seditionem ab altiore initio repetam, Tac. H. 2, 27: quia initio caedis orto difficilis modus, id. ib. 1, 39.— Pleon.: querellae ab initio tantae ordiendae rei absint, Liv. praef. § 12; cf.: prima initia incohare, id. 3, 54, 9: primum initium certaminis, id. 6, 12, 10. — The abl. sing. is used adverbially, in the beginning, at first: quemadmodum senatus initio censuit, Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 4: redeo ad illud quod initio scripsi, id. ib. 1, 7, 5; Nep. Thras. 1, 5; id. Tim. 3, 1; id. Alc. 5, 3; Curt. 3, 8, 17 al.; cf. Zumpt, Gram. § 475. —
B. Transf.
1. Constituent parts, elements: inde est indagatio nata initiorum, et tamquam seminum, unde essent omnia orta, generata, concreta, Cic. Tusc. 5, 24, 69: illa initia, et, ut e Graeco vertam, elementa dicuntur ( = στοιχεῖα), id. Ac. 1, 7, 26; so of death: Augustus in sua resolutus initia, Vell. 2, 123, 3. —
2. First principles, elements cf a science: illa initia mathematicorum, quibus non concessis digitum progredi non possunt, Cic. Ac. 2, 36, 116.—
3. Beginning, origin: quomodo initium nobis rerum omnium ortus noster adferat, sic exitum mors, etc., Cic. Tusc. 1, 38, 91: natus obscurissimis initiis, Vell. 2, 761; cf.: pauca ab initio causisque talium facinorum non absurda, which relate to the origin, etc., Tac. H. 4, 48.—
4. Auspices, because with them everything was begun; hence, the beginning of a reign: novis initiis et ominibus opus est, i. e. of a new king, Curt. 5, 9, 4.—
II. Secret sacred rites, sacred mysteries, to which only the initiated were admitted: initia vocantur potissimum ea, quae Cereri fiunt sacra, Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 5: initia Cereris, Liv. 31, 47, 2; cf. 39, 8, 5: nihil melius illis mysteriis, quibus ex agresti immanique vita exculti ad humanitatem et mitigati sumus, initiaque ut appellantur, ita re vera principia vitae cognovimus, Cic. Leg. 2, 14, 36; Just. 2, 6: initia Samothracum, Curt. 8, 1, 12: initiis pacis, foedus cum feritur, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 9.—
B. Things (musical instruments) used in celebrating these mysteries: Typanum, tubam, Cybele, tua, mater, initia, Cat. 63, 9.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Italic*en
  3. Proto-Italic*en-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ey-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éyti
  6. Proto-Italic*ejō
  7. Proto-Italic*eō
  8. Proto-Italic*eneō
  9. Latininitium

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -iusnom. Latin -ium Latin initium From ineō (“to go into, enter”) + -ium, the former from in (“into, to”) + eō (“to go, walk, ride, sail, fly, move, pass”).

Descendants
  • Catalaninici
  • Italianinizio
  • Portugueseinício
  • Spanishinicio
  • Galicianinzo
  • Galicianinicio
  • Leoneseeniciu
  • BretonEnedfrom Proto-Brythonic *ɨnɨd
  • CornishEnysfrom Proto-Brythonic *ɨnɨd
  • WelshYnydfrom Proto-Brythonic *ɨnɨd

In English words that came into English from initium

  • initialinitiālis
  • initiative*initiativus
  • commence*cominitiāre
  • initiateinitiātus
  • initiationinitiātiō

Quick answers

What does initium mean in Latin?
initium, a noun, means “beginning, start; a going in, entrance; rites, mysteries”.
What is the genitive of initium?
The genitive singular is initiī. initium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce initium?
In classical Latin, [ɪˈnɪ.ti.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [iˈnit.t͡si.um].
Where does initium come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én → Proto-Italic *en → Proto-Italic *en- → Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- → Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti → Proto-Italic *ejō → Proto-Italic *eō → Proto-Italic *eneō → Latin initium.
Which English words come from initium?
English words that go back to Latin initium include initial, initiate, initiative, commence and initiation.