喜樂美語

核心畫面

Right at the start — the very first bit, the thing that comes before everything else: the opening moment, or the opening letter that a word or name begins with.

可以想成「最開頭的那一點」——一切還沒展開之前，排在最前面的那個東西。可能是事情的起點（最初的階段），也可能是一個字…更多收起可以想成「最開頭的那一點」——一切還沒展開之前，排在最前面的那個東西。可能是事情的起點（最初的階段），也可能是一個字、一個名字最前面的那個字母。所有用法都圍著「開頭、第一個」這個畫面打轉。

From the word’s history

From Latin 'initialis', from 'initium' (a beginning), from 'inire' to go in / begin.

源自拉丁文 initialis，來自 initium（開始），其字根 inire 是「進入、開始」的意思。所以 initial 從詞源上就扣著「最開頭」，無論是時間上的最初，還是名字最前面的那個字母。

etymonline.com (initial)

From the picture

名字最前面的字母

把「最開頭」從時間搬到拼寫上：一個名字最前面的那個字母，就是這個名字的 initial。同樣是「第一個、打頭的那個」，只是對象換成字母。

first initial · noun · B1

The first letter of someone's first name.

名字的首字母

簽上縮寫的動作

由「姓名縮寫」再長出動詞：用那串開頭字母在文件上做記號。畫面從「那幾個字母」變成「拿筆把它們寫上去」的動作。

sign with initials · verb · B2

To write your initials on a document to show it is official or that you agree with it.

簽上姓名縮寫

Also in this word

first · adjective · B1

Happening at the very beginning; first.

最初的 / 起初的

原始詞典資料6 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

initialadj/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/

  • 1

    Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.

    • Our initial admiration for their efficiency gave way to disgust about their methods.
    • The initial stages of a syndrome may differ vastly from the final symptoms.
  • 2

    Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.

    • The initial letter of names is usually printed with a capital letter.
    • Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.

initialnoun/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/

  • 1

    The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials).

    • The point of interest about this particular specimen was that it must have remained intact for at least a quarter of a century, as it had embossed in the frosted glass the initials of the old Great North of Scotland Railway in the form of a scroll, the sort of relic of pre-grouping days that can still be found here and there if one is observant.
  • 2

    artscalligraphycommunicationsA distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.

  • 3

    human-scienceslinguisticsphonologyonset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.

initialverb/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/

  • 1

    To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.

    • Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.

資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。