To start is to begin doing something or for something to happen for the first time. It can also mean to move suddenly in surprise or fear.
From Old English “steartian” meaning “to leap up,” related to “steort” meaning “tail.” The earliest sense involved sudden movement, which later broadened to the idea of a beginning.
Originally, ‘start’ was about jumping suddenly—think of someone starting in fright. Over time it softened into just ‘beginning,’ but that original burst of energy still hides inside phrases like “start up” or “jump-start.”
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