initial

== English == === Etymology === From Middle French initial or directly from its Latin etymon initiālis (“of the beginning, incipient, initial”), from initium (“a going in, entrance, beginning”), from inire (“to go in, enter upon, begin”), from in (“in”) + ire (“to go”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɪˈnɪʃəl/, Rhymes: -ɪʃəl (Indic) IPA(key): /ɪˈniʃ(ɪ)jal/, (non-yod-coalescence) /-s(ɪ)jal/ === Adjective === initial (not comparable) Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin. Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word. ==== Synonyms ==== incipient inceptive opening ==== Antonyms ==== final ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === initial (plural initials) The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials). (typography, calligraphy) A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document. (phonology) onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology. ==== Synonyms ==== (typography, calligraphy): drop cap, versal ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== === Verb === initial (third-person singular simple present initials, present participle (US) initialing or (UK) initialling, simple past and past participle (US) initialed or (UK) initialled) (transitive) To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature. ==== Translations ==== === Related terms === === See also === middle === Further reading === “initial”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “initial”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “initial”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. == French == === Etymology === From Latin initiālis, from initium (“beginning”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /i.ni.sjal/ Rhymes: -al === Adjective === initial (feminine initiale, masculine plural initiaux, feminine plural initiales) initial ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Dutch: initiaal, initieel === Further reading === “initial”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == German == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /iniˈt͡sɪ̯aːl/ === Adjective === initial (strong nominative masculine singular initialer, not comparable) initial, incipient ==== Declension ==== == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology === From Latin initiālis. === Noun === initial m (definite singular initialen, indefinite plural initialer, definite plural initialene) an initial (first letter of a name) === References === “initial” in The Bokmål Dictionary. == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Etymology === From Latin initiālis. === Noun === initial m (definite singular initialen, indefinite plural initialar, definite plural initialane) an initial (first letter of a name) === References === “initial” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.