初め

Japanese

For pronunciation and definitions of 初め – see the following entry.

[noun] (especially 初め) beginning, the start of an activity or time period

[noun] (especially 始め) origin, beginning of a thing

[interjection] begin! used to announce the start of a race, an exam, and others

[verb] imperfective and stem (or continuative) forms of 始める (hajimeru) [ichidan]

Alternative spellings
一め, 創め, 首め

(This term, 初め, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

The 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 初(そ)める (someru, “(of an action) to begin, to be begun; (of such an action or its result) to continue for a long time”, auxiliary verb attaching to another verb's 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei)),^[1]^[2] in turn likely cognate with 染(そ)める (someru, “to dye something”, when used as an auxiliary, “to do something deeply or thoroughly”).^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

The verb is first attested in this kind of auxiliary sense in the Man'yōshū of 759.^[1]

初(そ)め • (some)

Alternative spelling
初 (uncommon)

Shift from 初(そ)め (some) above. The so changes to zo as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

初(ぞ)め • (-zome)

書(か)き初(ぞ)め (kakizome, “kakizome (the first calligraphy written at the beginning of a year)”)

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 “初”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 [Kōjien] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
^ “初める”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎^[2] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months

“初め”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[3] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026