ab initio, ab ovo

We end this beginning series with two latin phrases, namely:

ab initio
ab ovo

Pronunciation:
ab-i-NEE-shee-oh
ab-OH-voh

Meaning:
From the beginning.

Ab initio literally translates to “from the beginning”; while, ab ovo translates to “from an egg” and thus the implication of starting from the beginning.  Ab initio is used a lot as a legal and as a scientific term.  Here's a Wikipedia entry for ab initio.

Examples:
"Because more than half the students didn't understand how the pytogorean theorem works, the teacher had to teach it again ab ovo."
"The insurance contract will be voided ab initio should it be discovered that the insured provided falsified information in his/her application for insurance."

 

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