Inception
/ɪnˈsɛp.ʃən/noun
The beginning or start of something.
Did you know?In older Latin, the same root behind *inception* is tied to *capere*, “to seize,” which also gave English words like *capture* and *captive* — so a “beginning” was once imagined as something you *take hold of*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kap-
“to grasp, seize”
Latin
Latin
capere
“to take, seize, catch”
Latin
Latin
inceptio
“a beginning, undertaking”
Old French
Old French
incepcion
“beginning, commencement”
Middle English
English
incepcion
“beginning, inception”
Modern English
English
inception
“the beginning or start of something”