ANFANG

Also see BIJIN which is almost synonymous.

varieties

• verb: begin, initiate: ANFANGA, ANFANGJA
• noun: beginning, potential, origin: ANFANG, ÁNFANG

cognates

Noun

• Anfang - German
• aanvang - Dutch
• anevanc, aenvanc, anvanc - Middle Dutch

Verb

• anfangen - German
• aanvangen - Dutch
• anevaen, aanvanghen - Middle Dutch
• anafáhan - Old German
• onfá - Old Frisian
• oanfange - Frisian
• onfōn - Old English
• ἀναφαίνω, ἀμφαίνω - Old Greek (see below)

fragments

verb

[014/20] ALLE THINGA THÉR MÀN ANFANGJA WIL (...) VPPA THA DÉI THÉR WY FRYA HELDGAD HÀWA THAM SKILUN ÉVG FALÍKANT UTKVMA.

All things that are initiated {one will initiate}, (...) on the day that we have dedicated to Frya, shall always fail miserably.

[084/05] THÉRNÉI SKIL THET MORNERÁD WITHER ANFANGA TO GLORA.

But there will come a day when the dawn glows red again {... will begin to glow again}

[141/15] ALTHAM SKIL ANFANGA [20] FJUWER THUSAND JÉR NÉI ÁT.LAND SVNKEN IS.

All this will begin four thousand years after Atland sank

noun

[006/12] WR.ALDA THAM ALLÉNA GOD ÀND ÉVG IS. MAKADE T.ANFANG. DANA KÉM TID. TID WROCHTE ALLE THINGA. ÁK [15] JRTHA.

Wralda, who alone is whole and eternal, created the potential. Then came time, and time wrought all things; even the very Earth herself.

[045/01] WRALDA — T.ANFANG — T.BIJIN

HWÀT HIR BOPPA STÀT SIND THI TÉKNA FON [10] THÀT JOL. THAT IS THÀT FORMA SINNEBILD WR.ALDA.S. AK FON T.ÁNFANG JEFTHA T.BIJIN WÉRUT TID KÉM.

Wralda — the Potential — the Beginning

Depicted above are the signs of the Yule, which is the primary symbol of Wralda and of the Potential or the Beginning, from which came Time,

[067/05] NV KÉM T.ANFANG FON THÀT ENDE.

now came the beginning of the end.

[098/20] FONUT WR.ALDA KVMTH T.ANFANG ÀNDET ENDE ALRA THINGA GÉITH IN IM VPPA.

Out of Wralda comes both the beginning and the end. All things merge into him.

[103/05] WY FRYA.S BERN SEND FORSKINSLA THRVCH WR.ALDA.S LÉVA. BY T.ANFANG MIN ÀND BLÁT.

We, Frya’s children, are emergences through Wralda’s life, in the beginning mean and bare

[115/20] BY T.ANFANG THERE ARNE MÔNATH

At the beginning of the Harvest month

[141/10] THA ÉWA THÉR WR.ALDA BI T.ANFANG IN VS MOD LÉIDE SKILUN ALLÉNA HÉRAD WERTHA.

The people will adhere only the ‘eawa’ that Wralda laid in our souls from the beginning.

[204/25] BI T.ANFANG WÉRON HJA REINTJA NÍDICH

At first {at the beginning}, they resented Reintia

Greek ἀναφαίνω or ἀμφαίνω

Grieksch-Nederlandsch Schoolwoordenboek, A. Halberstadt (1900):

laten lichten, laten schitteren, aan 't licht brengen, openbaren, meedelen (ignite, let shine, bring to light, reveal, inform)

Griechisch-deutsches Lexicon über das neue Testament, C.F. Bahrdt (1786):

aufstellen, darlegen, zur Schau bringen, bekant machen, zum Vorschein kommen, beginnen (establish, explain, demonstrate, reveal, come to the fore, begin)

discussion

A literal translation for aanvang would be catch-on (onset?). Although the words ANFANG and BIJIN virtually mean the same, there is a subtle difference. ANFANG suggests an initial act by someone or something, in this case WRALDA. BIJIN is a more passive beginning.

Fragment [006/12] suggests T.ANFANG is older than time. It was the first Wralda made, according to the creation myth. For a Fryas, it would therefore be a sacred word, more than BIJIN, which may have been a more profane word.

To use two words with a similar meaning, one can make the concept stronger ("very beginning").

"Im Anfang war das Wort" - Luther, Joh.1:1

Tacitus referred to a Tamfana temple of the Germanic Marsi. The name is generally assumed to have been the name of a goddess, but it may have been the a place where the beginning of Time was contemplated, as suggested in Oera Linda. Even if some people named a goddess so, what did her name mean?

Just like Tamfana may have come from T.ANFANG (the origin/potential), Beguine may have its origin in BIJIN (beginning).

'Tanfana' in Tacitus fragment

Tacitus (Annales I, 50-51, emphasis added), sources: Latin, English

Laeti neque procul Germani agitabant, dum iustitio ob amissum Augustum, post discordiis attinemur.	There was exultation among the Germans, not far off, as long as we were detained by the public mourning for the loss of Augustus, and then by our dissensions.
at Romanus agmine propero silvam Caesiam limitemque a Tiberio coeptum scindit, castra in limite locat, frontem ac tergum vallo, latera concaedibus munitus.	But the Roman general in a forced march, cut through the Caesian forest and the barrier which had been begun by Tiberius, and pitched his camp on this barrier, his front and rear being defended by intrenchments, his flanks by timber barricades.
inde saltus obscuros permeat consultatque ex duobus itineribus breve et solitum sequatur an inpeditius et intemptatum eoque hostibus in cautum.	He then penetrated some forest passes but little known, and, as there were two routes, he deliberated whether he should pursue the short and ordinary route, or that which was more difficult unexplored, and consequently unguarded by the enemy.
delecta longiore via cetera adcelerantur: etenim attulerant exploratores festam eam Germanis noctem ac sollemnibus epulis ludicram.	He chose the longer way, and hurried on every remaining preparation, for his scouts had brought word that among the Germans it was a night of festivity, with games, and one of their grand banquets.
Caecina cum expeditis cohortibus praeire et obstantia silvarum amoliri iubetur: legiones modico intervallo sequuntur.	Caecina had orders to advance with some light cohorts, and to clear away any obstructions from the woods. The legions followed at a moderate interval.
iuvit nox sideribus inlustris, ventumque ad vicos Marsorum et circumdatae stationes stratis etiam tum per cubilia propterque mensas, nullo metu, non antepositi vigiliis:	They were helped by a night of bright starlight, reached the villages of the Marsi, and threw their pickets round the enemy, who even then were stretched on beds or at their tables, without the least fear, or any sentries before their camp, so complete was their carelessness and disorder;
adeo cuncta incuria disiecta erant neque belli timor, ac ne pax quidem nisi languida et soluta inter temulentos.	and of war indeed there was no apprehension. Peace it certainly was not- merely the languid and heedless ease of half-intoxicated people.
Caesar avidas legiones quo latior populatio foret quattuor in cuneos dispertit; quinquaginta milium spatium ferro flammisque pervastat.	Caesar, to spread devastation widely, divided his eager legions into four columns, and ravaged a space of fifty miles with fire and sword.
non sexus, non aetas miserationem attulit: profana simul et sacra et celeberrimum illis gentibus templum quod Tanfanae vocabant solo aequantur.	Neither sex nor age moved his compassion. Everything, sacred or profane, the temple too of Tamfana, as they called it, the special resort of all those tribes, was levelled to the ground.
sine vulnere milites, qui semisomnos, inermos aut palantis ceciderant.	There was not a wound among our soldiers, who cut down a half-asleep, an unarmed, or a straggling foe.
excivit ea caedes Bructeros, Tubantes, Vsipetes, saltusque, per quos exercitui regressus, insedere.	The Bructeri, Tubantes, and Usipetes, were roused by this slaughter, and they beset the forest passes through which the army had to return.