ab initio

Contents

EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

ab init

EtymologyEdit

From Latin ab (“from”) + initiō, ablative singular of initium (“beginning”).

PronunciationEdit

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌæb ɪˈnɪʃ.i.oʊ/, /ˌæb əˈnɪt.i.oʊ/, /ˌɑb əˈnɪt.i.oʊ/

AdverbEdit

ab initio

1. (law) From the time when a legal document comes into force. [Early 17^th century.]
2. (sciences) Calculated from first principles, i.e. from basic laws without any further additional assumptions.
   • 1983, Monty Python, The meaning of life, at about 1h 15':

     […] this soul does not exist ab initio, as orthodox Christianity teaches; it has to be brought into existence by a process of guided self-observation. However, this is rarely achieved, owing to man's unique ability to be distracted from spiritual matters by everyday trivia.

3. (of an academic course) Taken with no prior qualifications.

Related termsEdit

• void ab initio

TranslationsEdit

referring to the time from when a legal document comes into force

• Dutch: ab initio, vanaf het begin
• Hindi: आदितः (hi) (āditaḥ)

• Russian: с возникнове́ния (ru) (s vozniknovénija), от нача́ла (ru) (ot načála)
• Spanish: ab initio (es), desde el principio

calculated from first principles, i.e. from basic laws without any further additional assumptions

taken with no prior qualifications

ReferencesEdit