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Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /prinˈt͡ʃi.pjo/
- Rhymes: -ipjo
- Hyphenation: prin‧cì‧pio
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin prīncipium, derived from prīncipis, princĭpis, genitive singular of prīnceps (“first”) (compare principe (“prince”) from the meaning "chief").
Noun
principio m (plural principi)
- beginning, start, inception
- Synonym: (more common) inizio
- il principio di una azione. ― the beginning of an action.
- il principio di una nuova vita. ― the beginning of a new life.
1898-1900 [1817-1832], Giacomo Leopardi, Zibaldone di pensieri [Zibaldone], volume Pensieri (miscellaneous, diary), page 76:* Il trecento fu il principio della nostra letteratura, […]- * The three hundred was the beginning of our literature,
- (law, citing articles of law) first part; first paragraph, first subsection
- Synonyms: (first part) prima parte, (first paragraph, first subsection) primo comma
- (in adverbial phrases) beginning
- al principio del giorno/del secolo ― at the beginning of the day/of the century
- al principio tutto andava bene ― at the beginning everything was fine
1470-1547, Pietro Bembo, (Please provide the book title or journal name):L’alta Cagion, che da principio diede
A le cose create ordine e stato.- The high Cause, which from the beginning he gave
To things created order and status.
[90-110], Giovanni [John], Bibbia [Bible], volume Nuovo Testamento (canonical gospel), Vangelo secondo Giovanni , chapter 1, verse 1, lines 1–3:In principio era il Verbo,
il Verbo era presso Dio
e il Verbo era Dio.- In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God
and the Word was God. - (literally, “In the beginning was the verb,
the verb was with god
and the verb was god.”)
- (concrete, in the plural) first; appetizers, antipastos, starters, hors d'oeuvre
- i principi del libro ― the first pages of the book
1895 [1895], Pellegrino Artusi, La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene [Zibaldone] (essay, kitchen manual), Principii, page 70, lines 1–3:principii o antipasto sono propriamente quelle cosette appetitose che s’imbandiscono per mangiarle o dopo la minestra, come si usa in Toscana, […] , o prima, come si pratica in altre parti d’Italia.- starters or appetizer are properly those appetizing things that are prepared to eat them or after the soup, as used in Tuscany, , or before, as is practiced in other parts of Italy.
- beginning, cause, source, reason
- Synonyms: causa, ragione
quella vincita fu il principio della fortuna della famiglia.- that win was the reason of family fortune.
il malcontento ebbe principio dall’imposizione di nuove tasse.- the discontent had beginning from the imposition of new taxes.
[14th century], Francesco Petrarca, Canzoniere [Il Canzoniere] (collection of poems), Donna che lieta col Principio nostro, lines 1–2:Donna, che lieta col Principio nostro
ti stai, […]- Woman, who happy with our God
you stay, - (literally, “Woman, who happy with the reason of our existence beginning
you stay, ”)
(Can we date this quote?) [1713-1786], Gasparo Gozzi, (Please provide the book title or journal name):[…] principio e fine di ogni cosa è Iddio, […]- Beginning and end of everything is God,
- (usually in the plural) principle
- principi di economia / di linguistica ― principles of economics/of linguistics
- principi giuridici ― legal principles
- i tre principi della termodinamica ― the three principles of thermodynamics
- principle, moral norm, ethic value
- sani principi ― high principles
informare il proprio comportamento a principi di equità/di giustizia/di correttezza- to inform one's behavior of principles of equity/of justice/of correctness
- principi morali/religiosi ― moral/religious principles
1840 [1827], Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Antonio Manzoni, I promessi sposi [The Bethroted] (historical novel), Chapter XXXV, page 675:Incontrava ogni tanto ministri, tanto diversi d’aspetto e di maniere e d’abito, quanto diverso e opposto era il principio che dava agli uni e agli altri una forza uguale di vivere in tali servizi: negli uni l’estinzione d’ogni senso di pietà, negli altri una pietà sovrumana.- Occasionally he met ministers, so different in appearance and manners and habit, how different and opposite was the principle that gave to each one an equal strength to live in such services: in ones the extinction of every sense of piety, in others a superhuman piety.
(Can we date this quote?) [1960-], Marcello Fois, (Please provide the book title or journal name):tutti i princìpi più sani con i quali era cresciuto, se li stava bevendo come vinello fresco- all the healthiest principles with which he had grown up, he was drinking them like fresh wine
Derived terms
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Verb
principio
- first-person singular present indicative of principiare
References
Latin
Noun
prīncipiō
- dative/ablative singular of prīncipium
References
- “principio”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- principio in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
Portuguese
Etymology 1
Verb
principio
- first-person singular present indicative of principiar
Etymology 2
Noun
principio m (plural principios)
- Obsolete spelling of princípio
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Spain) /pɾinˈθipjo/
- IPA(key): (Latin America) /pɾinˈsipjo/
- Rhymes: -ipjo
- Syllabification: prin‧ci‧pio
Etymology 1
From Latin principium.
Noun
principio m (plural principios)
- beginning, start, outset, get-go
- Synonyms: comienzo, empiece, inicio
- al principio ― at the beginning, at first
- a principios del mes ― at the beginning of the month
- cause, origin
- principle
Derived terms
Related terms
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Verb
principio
- first-person singular present indicative of principiar
Further reading