Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The opening words of a text, especially when used in place of a title to identify an otherwise untitled work.
from The Century Dictionary.
- ‘(Here) beginneth’: the first word in a preliminary formula common in medieval manuscripts and early printed books, introducing the title or name of the work or of the preface or other part of it: as, “Incipit preambulum”; “Incipit prologus in libellum qui dicitur Promptorius Parvulorum,” etc. Compare
explicit , verb - noun The introductory words of a book or section of a book. Compare
explicit , n.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The first few words of a text, especially its first line.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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"Christian wisdom," which already emerged from the first reading and the Gospel, offers us the synthesis of this position of Leo XIII -- it is not by chance that it is also the "incipit" of one of his encyclicals.
RORATE CÆLI 2010
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Fixations, Earworms, Jungian Memes incipit vita nova
Where Do Those Ideas Come From? Fixations, Earworms, Jungian Memes 2010
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In its talons, it clutches a scroll upon which is written the incipit for a passage in John's Gospel reporting the activities of John the Baptist.
Sensual Encounters: Monastic Women and Spirituality in Medieval Germany 2008
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Below is the full Latin text [AH 55, Nr. 188, with the incipit found in KSB underlined and variations given in parentheses] and the full German text as found in the edition of KSB, 159-62.
Sensual Encounters: Monastic Women and Spirituality in Medieval Germany 2008
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From Oxford's Bodleian Library (MS.Don. b. 31), an Agnus Dei with the incipit beautifully encased in the initial Q of "qui."
Oldies compilation Matthew Guerrieri 2007
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All but one of the nine French-texted songs that carry Prioris's name are rondeaux although one survives with only a text incipit.
Archive 2009-05-01 Lu 2009
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From the Howard Psalter (Arundel 83 I) showing the incipit of Psalm 80 ("Exultate Deo").
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As a result there are two texts with the same incipit.
Verbum Supernum Prodiens bls 2009
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I enjoyed this post the incipit is fantastic, and the discussion in the comments.
Academic Publications 2.0 Luis von Ahn 2009
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From Oxford's Bodleian Library (MS.Don. b. 31), an Agnus Dei with the incipit beautifully encased in the initial Q of "qui."
Archive 2007-05-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2007
seancroft commented on the word incipit
–noun
1. the introductory words or opening phrases in the text of a medieval manuscript or an early printed book.
2. Music. the first words of a chanted liturgical text, as that of a Gregorian chant or certain medieval motets.
-dictionary.com
January 31, 2009