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# beginning

noun (beginning, beginnings); verb (begin, begins, began, begun, beginning)

«beginning» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The beginning is the first part or the start of something. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#m1)
2. Beginning is also the -ing form of begin: «It is beginning to rain». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#m2)

### In the lessons

the start of the story, before anything happened: «at first», «at the start», «in the beginning» ask for the count before the events; a story has a beginning, a middle and an end; phrases: «in the beginning», «at the beginning of», «from beginning to end», «beginning to»

### Examples

- How many cards did Ben have in the beginning? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#x1)
- In the beginning, there were 15 birds on the tree. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#x2)
- At the beginning of the day, Zoe had 20 cents. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#x3)
- Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#x4)
- Read the book from beginning to end. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#x5)
- It is beginning to snow! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#x6)
- At the beginning of the year, we got new books. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#x7)
- The beginning of the film was scary. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#x8)
- The apples were beginning to roast. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/#x9)

### Note

Spelling: double n (beginning). «at first», «at the start», «in the beginning» ask for the count before the events. Trap: undo the changes to find it: add back what went away, take away what came.

## In Jewish tradition

"In the beginning" opens the Torah and means the very start of creation.

**Interpretation.** The Hebrew word is Bereshit, which gives the whole book its Hebrew name. Commentators such as Rashi say it can be read "when God began to create."

### Examples

- IN THE beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Torah GEN.1.1, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/beginning/#x1)
- And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. (Torah GEN.10.10, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/beginning/#x2)
- And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack. (Torah GEN.44.12, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/beginning/#x3)
- He that called the generations from the beginning. (Prophets ISA.41.4, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/beginning/#x4)
- Hath it not been told you from the beginning? (Prophets ISA.40.21, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/beginning/#x5)
- And though thy beginning was small, yet thy end should greatly increase. (Writings JOB.8.7, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/beginning/#x6)

### Note

Spelling: double n (beginning). «at first», «at the start», «in the beginning» ask for the count before the events. Trap: undo the changes to find it: add back what went away, take away what came.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «beginning» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beginning/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«beginning» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/beginning.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «beginning» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/beginning/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«beginning» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/beginning.html) on Mova free.