Past participle of begin; having started or initiated something. The state of something that has commenced.
From Old English beginnan, from be- (about, around) + Proto-Germanic ginnan (to open, crack). The idea was of opening or creating a gap to start something.
The ancient concept of 'cracking open' to begin something persists in expressions like 'crack of dawn' or 'crack open a book.' Every beginning is still metaphorically about creating an opening in the continuous flow of time or experience.
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