Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Beginning has 9 different meanings across 2 categories:
the time at which something is supposed to begin
"they got an early start"
"she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her"
the first part or section of something
"`It was a dark and stormy night' is a hackneyed beginning for a story"
the act of starting something
"he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations"
The act of doing that which begins anything; commencement of an action, state, or space of time; entrance into being or upon a course; the first act, effort, or state of a succession of acts or states.
"The beginning of our journey was marked by a long walk through the rain before we finally reached the campsite."
In plain English: A beginning is the very first part of something when it starts.
"The beginning of the movie was very confusing."
Usage: Use "beginning" to refer to the start or initial stage of any event, process, or period. It functions as a standard noun indicating when something commences rather than describing the manner in which it starts.
present participle of begin
"The beginning of the movie was slow, but it picked up once the main characters arrived."
In plain English: To begin means to start doing something.
"It is time to begin the meeting."
Usage: Do not use "beginning" as a standalone verb; it is only the present participle that must follow another verb like "is" or "was." Instead, use the base form "begin" when you need to perform the action directly.
Of or relating to the first portion of some extended thing.
"The beginning of the marathon was grueling, but I saved my energy for the second half."
In plain English: Beginning describes something that is at the very start of an event or process.
"The beginning of the movie was very slow."
Usage: Use "beginning" as an adjective only when it directly modifies a noun to indicate that something is related to its start, such as in "the beginning chapters." Avoid using it as a standalone descriptor; instead, place it immediately before the word it describes to clarify which part of a sequence you mean.
The word began as a combination of the verb begin and the suffix -ing, which was already present in Middle English. It entered modern usage with the same meaning it held centuries ago when describing the start or first part of something.