CS Knowledge Base

Latin

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ɪˈnɪ.ti.oː]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [iˈnit.t͡si.o]

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Latin initium

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin initiō

From initium (“beginning”) + -ō.

Verb

initiō (present infinitive initiāre, perfect active initiāvī, supine initiātum); first conjugation

to begin, originate
Synonyms: incohō, exōrdior, occipiō, incipiō, coepiō, ōrdior, ineō, ingredior, aggredior, sūmō, moveō, committō, exorior, mōlior

Antonyms: dēsistō, subsistō, cessō
to initiate, consecrate

Conjugation

Conjugation of initiō (first conjugation)

indicative		singular				plural
indicative		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	initiō	initiās		initiat	initiāmus	initiātis		initiant
	imperfect	initiābam	initiābās		initiābat	initiābāmus	initiābātis		initiābant
	future	initiābō	initiābis		initiābit	initiābimus	initiābitis		initiābunt
	perfect	initiāvī	initiāvistī		initiāvit	initiāvimus	initiāvistis		initiāvērunt, initiāvēre
	pluperfect	initiāveram	initiāverās		initiāverat	initiāverāmus	initiāverātis		initiāverant
	future perfect	initiāverō	initiāveris		initiāverit	initiāverimus	initiāveritis		initiāverint
passive	present	initior	initiāris, initiāre		initiātur	initiāmur	initiāminī		initiantur
	imperfect	initiābar	initiābāris, initiābāre		initiābātur	initiābāmur	initiābāminī		initiābantur
	future	initiābor	initiāberis, initiābere		initiābitur	initiābimur	initiābiminī		initiābuntur
	perfect	initiātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	initiātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	initiātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular				plural
subjunctive		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	initiem	initiēs		initiet	initiēmus	initiētis		initient
	imperfect	initiārem	initiārēs		initiāret	initiārēmus	initiārētis		initiārent
	perfect	initiāverim	initiāverīs		initiāverit	initiāverīmus	initiāverītis		initiāverint
	pluperfect	initiāvissem	initiāvissēs		initiāvisset	initiāvissēmus	initiāvissētis		initiāvissent
passive	present	initier	initiēris, initiēre		initiētur	initiēmur	initiēminī		initientur
	imperfect	initiārer	initiārēris, initiārēre		initiārētur	initiārēmur	initiārēminī		initiārentur
	perfect	initiātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	initiātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular				plural
imperative		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	—	initiā		—	—	initiāte		—
active	future	—	initiātō		initiātō	—	initiātōte		initiantō
passive	present	—	initiāre		—	—	initiāminī		—
passive	future	—	initiātor		initiātor	—	—		initiantor
non-finite forms		infinitive				participle
non-finite forms		active		passive		active		passive
present		initiāre		initiārī		initiāns		—
future		initiātūrum esse		initiātum īrī		initiātūrus		initiandus
perfect		initiāvisse		initiātum esse		—		initiātus
future perfect		—		initiātum fore		—		—
perfect potential		initiātūrum fuisse		—		—		—
verbal nouns		gerund					supine
		genitive	dative		accusative	ablative	accusative		ablative
		initiandī	initiandō		initiandum	initiandō	initiātum		initiātū

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Albanian: nis
Asturian: aniciar, añiciar, ñiciar, niciar
→ Catalan: iniciar
Dalmatian: nizuor
→ English: initiate
→ French: initier
Galician: iniciar, inzar
Italian: iniziare
Portuguese: iniciar
Romanian: iniția
Spanish: iniciar
Venetan: inisiar
⇒ Vulgar Latin: *cominitiāre (see there for further descendants)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

initiō n

dative/ablative singular of initium

References

“initio”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“initio”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
"initio", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
“initio”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
- to be initiated into the mysteries of a cult: sacris initiari (Quintil. 12. 10. 14)
- (ambiguous) the elements: elementa; initia or principia rerum
- (ambiguous) at the beginning of the year: initio anni, ineunte anno