Initially in different languages

Initially in Different Languages

Discover 'Initially' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'initially' is a small but powerful term that signifies the beginning or early stages of something. Its significance lies in its ability to set the stage for what is to come, making it a crucial concept in various cultures and languages.

Throughout history, the idea of an 'initial' phase has been a source of fascination and inspiration. From the 'initial' spark of creativity in art and literature to the 'initial' steps of a scientific discovery, the concept has played a pivotal role in shaping human history and progress.

Understanding the translation of 'initially' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and linguistic differences that exist around the world. For example, in Spanish, 'initially' is 'inicialmente,' while in French, it is 'initialement.' Meanwhile, in German, the term is 'zunächst,' and in Japanese, it is '初期に' (shoki ni).

By exploring the various translations of 'initially,' we can gain a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of human language and culture. So, let's delve into the fascinating world of 'initially' and discover how this simple term has been interpreted and expressed in different languages and contexts.

Initially


Initially in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansaanvanklik
The word "aanvanklik" initially meant "at the beginning" or "in the first place" in Dutch, but it has since come to mean "initially" in Afrikaans.
Amharicበመጀመሪያ
The word "በመጀመሪያ" can also mean "first of all" or "in the first place".
Hausada farko
The Hausa word "da farko" derives from the Arabic "darakta," meaning "to begin" or "to originate."
Igbona mbido
"Na mbido" can also mean 'at first', 'in the beginning', or 'from the outset' in Igbo.
Malagasyvoalohany
The word "voalohany" in Malagasy can also refer to "firstly" or "at the beginning".
Nyanja (Chichewa)poyamba
Poyamba can also mean 'on its own' or 'independently'.
Shonapakutanga
It is also used as an exclamation to express approval or astonishment.
Somalibilowgii
The word 'bilowgii' is derived from the word 'bilow' which means 'beginning or start'.
Sesothoqalong
The word "qalong" or "qalongqa" also means "at first" or "at the beginning" in Sesotho.
Swahilimwanzoni
The Swahili word "mwanzoni" can also mean "in the beginning" or "at the start".
Xhosaekuqaleni
The word 'ekuqaleni' can also mean 'at the beginning of' or 'originally'.
Yorubalakoko
The Yoruba word "lakoko" can also mean "in the first place", "at first" or "originally".
Zuluekuqaleni
The Zulu word "ekuqaleni" can also refer to the "beginning" of something, or to the "first time" an action is taken.
Bambaraa daminɛ na
Ewele gɔmedzedzea me
Kinyarwandamu ntangiriro
Lingalana ebandeli
Lugandamu kusooka
Sepedimathomong
Twi (Akan)mfiase no

Initially in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicفي البداية
Hebrewבתחילה
"בתחילה" is also the name of an Israeli punk rock band based in Tel Aviv.
Pashtoپه پیل کې
Arabicفي البداية

Initially in Western European Languages

Albanianfillimisht
The word "fillimisht" in Albanian is thought to derive from the Latin word "fili" meaning "son" or "heir", suggesting a sense of continuity or succession.
Basquehasieran
The word "hasieran" in Basque also means "at the beginning of" or "from the start".
Catalaninicialment
The Catalan word "inicialment" derives from the Latin "initialis", meaning "first" or "primary".
Croatianu početku
In Croatian, "u početku" can refer to the beginning of a story or the start of a new period.
Danishi første omgang
The Danish expression "i første omgang" literally means "in the first turn".
Dutchaanvankelijk
Alternate meaning of "aanvankelijk" is "originally," from the prefix "aan-," meaning "on" or "to," and the root "vankelijk," meaning "captive" or "prisoner."
Englishinitially
"Initially" derives from Medieval Latin "inītiō" meaning "at the beginning," from Latin "īre" or "go"
Frenchinitialement
The word "initialement" in French can also mean "originally" or "in the beginning".
Frisianynearsten
The Old Frisian word "ýneárst" is related to the modern Frisian word "earne," which has the dual meaning of "before" and "early in the morning."
Galicianinicialmente
In Galician, "inicialmente" can also be used to mean "in principle" or "at the outset."
Germananfänglich
Das Wort "anfänglich" stammt vom althochdeutschen Wort "anafanc" ab, was "Anfang" bedeutet.
Icelandicupphaflega
The word "upphaflega" also means "originally" or "at first".
Irishi dtosach
The Irish word "i dtosach" is derived from the phrase "i dtús na hach" meaning "at the beginning of," and is often used to introduce or set the scene for a story or event.
Italianinizialmente
The Italian word "inizialmente" derives from the Latin "initium," meaning "beginning" or "start."
Luxembourgishufanks
The word "ufanks" can also mean "from the beginning" or "from the start".
Malteseinizjalment
The word "inizjalment" is derived from the Italian word "inizialmente", which also means "initially".
Norwegiani utgangspunktet
The Norwegian phrase "i utgangspunktet" literally means "in the starting point".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)inicialmente
The Portuguese word "inicialmente" can also mean "originally", "primarily", or "principally" in English.
Scots Gaelican toiseach
The word "an toiseach" originated from the Old Irish term "i n-toisech" meaning "in the beginning".
Spanishinicialmente
Inicialmente deriva del latín initialis, y también significa 'principiante' o 'elemental'.
Swedishinitialt
The Swedish word "initialt" can also mean "in the beginning" or "originally".
Welshi ddechrau
The term “i ddechrau” can also mean “from the beginning,” as in the context of a story or journey.

Initially in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianпершапачаткова
The word “першапачаткова” can also mean “in the beginning” or “from the very beginning” in Belarusian.
Bosnianu početku
The phrase "u početku" can also mean "at the beginning of" or "in the beginning" in Bosnian.
Bulgarianпървоначално
The Bulgarian word "първоначално" can also mean "originally" or "primordially".
Czechzpočátku
The Czech word "zpočátku" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "spočatъka", which means "from the beginning".
Estonianesialgu
Finnishaluksi
The word "aluksi" derives from the Proto-Finnic word "*alki", meaning "beginning" or "origin."
Hungarianalapvetően
The word "alapvetően" in Hungarian has Indo-European roots and is related to the Latin word "elementum", meaning "element", "basis", or "principle".
Latviansākotnēji
The word "sākotnēji" can also refer to the "initial point" or "beginning" of something.
Lithuanianiš pradžių
Iš pradžių is a Lithuanian adverb formed from iš- (out of) + pradžia (beginning). It means initially, at first, or from the beginning.
Macedonianпрвично
The word " првично" ("initially ") in Macedonian is derived from the Proto - Slavic root " pervьnъ" ( "first") and can also mean"primitive","primary", or "native".
Polishpoczątkowo
The word początkowo derives from the Proto-Slavic word *počьnǫti, meaning "to begin".
Romanianinițial
In archaic Romanian, "inițial" also means "simple", "without ornamentation".
Russianпервоначально
The word "первоначально" is derived from the Proto-Slavic adjective "прьвъ", meaning "first" or "primary."
Serbianу почетку
In Serbian, "у почетку" can also mean "in the beginning" or "at first".
Slovakspočiatku
The word "spočiatku" can also mean "at first" or "from the beginning".
Sloveniansprva
The word "sprva" evolved from the Proto-Slavic word "sъprьva", meaning "beginning" or "from the beginning".
Ukrainianспочатку
The word "спочатку" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*potičati", meaning "to begin, to start". It is also semantically related to the words "початок" (beginning) and "починати" (to begin).

Initially in South Asian Languages

Bengaliপ্রাথমিকভাবে
প্রাথমিকভাবে (pradhamika bhabe) originated from the Sanskrit root “pradhana,” meaning “important” or “principal.”
Gujaratiશરૂઆતમાં
Hindiशुरू में
The word 'शुरू में' ('initially') consists of 'शुरू' ('beginning') and 'में' ('in').
Kannadaಆರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿ
The word "ಆರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿ" (ārambhadalli) can be literally translated to "in the beginning" or "from the beginning".
Malayalamതുടക്കത്തിൽ
Marathiसुरुवातीला
Its alternate meanings, "at first" and "in the beginning," are mostly used in the same context.
Nepaliसुरुमा
The word "सुरुमा" in Nepali derives from the Sanskrit "सुरु" meaning "beginning" and "मा" meaning "in". It can also be used to refer to the "very first time" or "in the beginning" of something.
Punjabiਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਵਿੱਚ
Sinhala (Sinhalese)මුලදී
The word "මුලදී" can also mean "originally", "at first" or "in the beginning".
Tamilஆரம்பத்தில்
Initially is also used in Tamil to mean the 'early stages of something that is likely to lead to something more extensive' and is used to indicate a 'starting place'.
Teluguప్రారంభంలో
Urduابتدائی طور پر

Initially in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)原来
The character "原" in "原来" means "to return" or "to recover", hence its original meaning is "to restore to the initial state".
Chinese (Traditional)原來
原來, 本指「事物之本來面貌」, 後引申為「起初, 最初」之義。
Japanese最初は
*Originally, the word *hajime wa* meant "first off".
Korean처음에는
"처음에는" consists of "처음에" (meaning "at first") and "는" (a topic marker), emphasizing the initial aspect.
Mongolianэхэндээ
The word 'эхэндээ' can also mean 'first' or 'at the beginning'.
Myanmar (Burmese)အစပိုင်းတွင်

Initially in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmulanya
The word "mulanya" in Indonesian originally meant "from the beginning" or "since the beginning".
Javanesewiwitane
"Wiwitane" can also mean "from the beginning" or "from the start".
Khmerដំបូង
"ដំបូង" can also mean "the beginning" or "the first time".
Laoໃນເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ
Malaypada mulanya
In Old Javanese, 'pada mulanya' means 'at the source' or 'in the beginning'. In Malay, it retains its Old Javanese meaning and its literal translation is 'at the beginning of it'.
Thaiเริ่มแรก
The word "เริ่มแรก" is derived from the Sanskrit word "prathamam", meaning "first" or "beginning".
Vietnameseban đầu
The word "ban đầu" also means "originally" or "at first".
Filipino (Tagalog)sa simula

Initially in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniəvvəlcə
The word "əvvəlcə" derives from the Arabic "aWWalan", meaning "first", and can also refer to "preliminary" or "originally".
Kazakhбастапқыда
The word "бастапқыда" can also mean "in the first instance" in English.
Kyrgyzбашында
The word initially can also mean top or head in Turkish and Azeri.
Tajikдар аввал
The word "дар аввал" is a combination of the words "дар" („in, within") and "аввал" („first") and it is related to the Persian word "اَوَّل" (avval), which also means "first."
Turkmenbaşda
Uzbekdastlab
The word "dastlab" is derived from the Persian word "dast" meaning "hand" and "lab" meaning "lip", suggesting its original meaning of "at hand" or "ready to use".
Uyghurدەسلەپتە

Initially in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiani kinohi
The Hawaiian word "i kinohi" can also mean "previously" or "in the past".
Maorii te timatanga
The word 'i te timatanga' in Maori can also refer to 'the beginning of time' or 'the creation of the world'.
Samoanmuamua
"Muamua" can also mean "firstly" and "before."
Tagalog (Filipino)sa una
"Sa una" is derived from the root word "isa" which means "one" or "first".

Initially in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaraqalltanxa
Guaraniiñepyrũrã

Initially in International Languages

Esperantokomence
The word also means "for a start, after all", and comes from the word "komenco" or start.
Latininitio
Initio, meaning "in the beginning," derives from the Latin noun initium, "beginning."

Initially in Others Languages

Greekαρχικά
The word "αρχικά" derives from the Greek word "ἀρχή," meaning "beginning, origin, first principle".
Hmongthaum pib
Thaum pib is derived from the words "thaum" (at the time) and "pib" (beginning) and conveys a sense of when an action was first started.
Kurdishdestpêkde
The term 'destpêkde' in Kurdish is often used to denote the starting point of an action or sequence of events, indicating a temporal beginning.
Turkishbaşlangıçta
In Turkish, "başlangıçta" can also mean "firstly" or "at first."
Xhosaekuqaleni
The word 'ekuqaleni' can also mean 'at the beginning of' or 'originally'.
Yiddishטכילעס
טכילעס is derived from the Hebrew word טכילה, meaning “immersion” or “dipping,” and refers to the initial stage of a process.
Zuluekuqaleni
The Zulu word "ekuqaleni" can also refer to the "beginning" of something, or to the "first time" an action is taken.
Assameseপ্ৰথম অৱস্থাত
Aymaraqalltanxa
Bhojpuriशुरू में शुरू में भइल
Dhivehiފުރަތަމަ ފަހަރަށް
Dogriशुरू च
Filipino (Tagalog)sa simula
Guaraniiñepyrũrã
Ilocanoidi damo
Kriofɔs
Kurdish (Sorani)لە سەرەتادا
Maithiliप्रारम्भ मे
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯑꯍꯥꯅꯕꯗꯥ ꯑꯦꯟ.ꯗꯤ.ꯑꯦ
Mizoa tir lamah chuan
Oromojalqaba irratti
Odia (Oriya)ପ୍ରାରମ୍ଭରେ
Quechuaqallariypiqa
Sanskritप्रारम्भे
Tatarбашта
Tigrinyaኣብ መጀመርታ
Tsongaeku sunguleni

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