発端

• Reading: ほったん
• Romaji: hottan
• Kanji breakdown: 発 (hotsu/hatto) — start, emit, depart; 端 (tan/hashi) — edge, tip, beginning
• Pronunciation: /ho.t.ta.ɴ/

Meaning

Origin; beginning; trigger; starting point. Refers to the initial cause or event that sets something larger in motion.

発端 emphasises the originating event or trigger, especially for events that have unfolded significantly from that point. Common in journalism, history, and narrative writing. Similar to 起因 (cause) and 始まり (beginning), but 発端 specifically highlights the moment or event that set things off. Often used in the pattern 発端となる (to serve as the trigger/origin).

Examples

1. この論争の発端は、ある議員の不用意な発言だった。 The origin of this controversy was a careless remark by a certain politician.
2. 一件の小さな誤解が発端となり、二国間の外交危機に発展した。 A single small misunderstanding served as the trigger for a diplomatic crisis between two countries.
3. 事件の発端から解決に至るまでの経緯を詳しく追った記事が掲載された。 An article was published tracing in detail the course of events from the origin of the incident to its resolution.

Usage Guide

Context: journalism, history, narrative, law

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 発 (hotsu, start, emit, depart) and 端 (tan, edge, end, tip). Together they describe the very tip or edge from which something begins to unfold — a precise image of the starting point from which events emanate.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal