# Είναι να μη γίνει η αρχή



## alfie1888

Came across this phrase last time I was reading my book. I forgot about it until I started reading again today and saw it above where I had left off. It looks and sounds really weird to me and I was hoping someone could explain it to me and offer me a translation?

I don't understand the construction of this phrase (why is it phrased like it is) and I'm not 100% sure I've understood it within the context. I think it means "This is just the start / beginning" but I'll leave it to anyone kind enough to correct me on that . 

Thanks in advance, guys!

_"Ναι, αγάπη μου, αλλά οι άνθρωποι αλλάζουν..."
"Και αυτή άλλαξε;"
"Άρχισε ν' αλλάζει, Στάθη! *Και είναι να μη γίνει η αρχή!* Μια μικρή ρωγμή στην πανοπλία της υπάρχει ήδη και δε θ'αργήσει να γίνει κομμάτια! Φτάνει να μην πέσει σε κάποιον ακατάλληλο... Όχι τώρα τουλάχιστον!"_


----------



## Perseas

alfie1888 said:


> I think it means "This is just the start / beginning" but I'll leave it to anyone kind enough to correct me on that .



I think your understanding is correct. But because this is a set phrase in Greek (Αλλά επειδή πρόκειται για μια παγιωμένη φράση στα ελληνικά), you can wait for other replies about the precise translation into English.


----------



## alfie1888

I see what you did there hehe! OK, set phrase. That's one way of accepting the strange structure.


----------



## Acestor

Hi Alfie, hi Perseas
Interesting question. Read this expression as “Είναι σημαντικό / απαραίτητο να μη γίνει η αρχή. Άπαξ και γίνει…”, i.e. You can't stop change once it starts.
There are a number of expressions you can hear starting with “Είναι να μην [A]”, which may then be followed by “Γιατί, όταν [A], τότε *”. It reminds me of "if A then B" lessons in Logic long forgotten.*


----------



## cougr

That's how I've always understood it as well, Acestor. Something similar to "once it starts there's no stopping it".


----------



## alfie1888

I still don't understand why the μη is there, though...


----------



## Acestor

You get the negative because, as I wrote before, the complete expression would be "It is important that it does not get started" or, in general, "It is important that something should _not_ take place".


----------



## cougr

Acestor, the explanation you provide definitely applies in many cases but it has just occurred to me that the phrase is occasionally used in a different manner.

Eg: 1)_'Ηταν να μη γίνει η αρχή_. Οι Ελληνες πρωταθλητές του στίβου συνέχισαν  χθες τις πολύ καλές εμφανίσεις τους στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες του  Λονδίνου και, πλέον, έχουμε δύο προκρίσεις σε τελικούς και τρεις σε  ημιτελικούς.

2) Λίγο πριν τελειώσει το πανεπιστήμιο η όμορφη Εύα πηγαίνει σε ένα  δοκιμαστικό για ένα τοπικό κανάλι και βρίσκεται ξαφνικά να παρουσιάζει  το καθημερινό δίωρο  μαγκαζίνο του καναλιού. _Ήταν να μη γίνει η αρχή_:  ακολουθεί καθημερινή ζωντανή εκπομπή στην ΕΡΤ 3 αλλά και μια ταξιδιωτική  ταυτόχρονα, καθώς μια εμμονή και ένα πάθος  με αυτήν την δουλειά την  είχε από τότε. 

Here the phrase takes on the meaning of something like: "_the start_ _was the_ _difficult part_, _but once past it_, _there has been no looking back__/__there's been no stopping_ _them/her_"  or similarly, "_since then (the start) __there has been no looking back__ etc _".


----------



## Acestor

True, but in positive statements it would probably be more accurate to say "Ήταν να γίνει η αρχή". It seems that the negative meaning of the original expression has been lost but that's the only way to explain the existence of "μη" in it.


----------



## cougr

Precisely my thoughts. Sometimes it is used as a figure of speech where the intended meaning is the opposite of that which has been stated.


----------



## Perseas

alfie1888 said:


> I still don't understand why the μη is there, though...


My tuppence to this interesting discussion:
alphie, from the text of your original post I can't tell to what  "είναι να μη γίνει η αρχή" refers : to the change of someone's character to the better or to a negative situation which is about to come? So I 'll give a couple of other examples and I 'll try to comment on them. 

1) _Από πέρσι η επίδοσή σου στο σχολείο πάει από το κακό στο χειρότερο. Ήταν να μη γίνει η αρχή, φαίνεται._
In this example *μη* exists normally, i.e. it's existence should not cause any confusion, because the reference is to something negative or undesirable. So using Acestor's help it could be rephrased:
_Από πέρσι η επίδοσή σου στο σχολείο πάει από το κακό στο χειρότερο. *Ήταν* _*σημαντικό/απαραίτητο *_*να μη γίνει η αρχή*, φαίνεται._

On the other hand, one could rightfully wonder about the use of *μη* in this example:
 2)_Το μωρό είπε χθες τις πρώτες του λέξεις. Από εδώ και πέρα θα πει πολλές. *Ήταν να μη γίνει η αρχή*_. 
Here the more accurate way to say it would be indeed "*Ήταν να μη γίνει η αρχή*", because what is going to happen is positive or desirable. Now, why use *μη*? In my opinion, it brings about a kind of irony (a very slight one) which gives emphasis. Perhaps, initially the use of *μη* was in negative statements and later expanded in positive ones.


----------



## Live2Learn

My interpretation of _Ήταν να μηγίνει η αρχή:

_A career, a project, a change in behavior, etc. just was*n’t* supposed to get started/take off/get off the ground/ happen! (that is, everyone was going around saying, “That will never happen. Never in a million years! Only when hell freezes over will we see that!”) But now look! It’s happened! Wow! This is really something!


----------



## Tassos

Perseas said:


> 2)_Το μωρό είπε χθες τις πρώτες του λέξεις. Από εδώ και πέρα θα πει πολλές. *Ήταν να μη γίνει η αρχή*_.
> Here the more accurate way to say it would be indeed "*Ήταν να μη γίνει η αρχή*", because what is going to happen is positive or desirable. Now, why use *μη*? In my opinion, it brings about a kind of irony (a very slight one) which gives emphasis. Perhaps, initially the use of *μη* was in negative statements and later expanded in positive ones.



If I had to choose between _*Ήταν να μη γίνει η αρχή*_ and _*Ήταν να γίνει η αρχή*_ in this example, personally everytime I would choose the first. As Perseas said it just sounds, well, "stronger", it seems like the meaning of the phrase becomes clearer when you use the first phrase. And it sounds more natural too. Although I cannot speak for everybody, I'd say that in 80-90% of the time, a modern Greek speaker would choose the first of the two phrases.


----------



## sanny123

Both are fine but the first one i think its use more often than the second one


----------

