opening word of a Latin book or manuscript, Latin, literally "(here) begins," third person singular present indicative of incipere "begin" (see incipient).
Entries linking to incipit
incipient adj.
"beginning, commencing," 1660s, from Latin incipientem (nominative incipiens), present participle of incipere "begin, take up; have a beginning, originate," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + -cipere, combining form of capere "to take," from PIE root *kap- "to grasp." Related: Incipiently.