ProverbWisdom
English originc. 1300
English originc. 1300A good beginning makes a good ending
Meaning: How you start something largely determines how it will finish; preparation and intention matter.
Origin: One of the oldest sayings in English. The South English Legendary, around 1300, links a good beginning with the hope of a good ending, and a manuscript of about 1350 has "Of a good beginning cometh a good ending." John Heywood included it in his 1546 collection. The same thought runs through ancient sayings — the Greeks said the beginning is half the whole — and English also has the shorter "well begun is half done."
Equivalents in Spanish, German, and Italian
Spanish: Quien bien empieza, bien acaba (literally: Whoever starts well ends well)
German: Wie der Anfang, so das Ende (literally: As the beginning, so the end)
Italian: Buon principio fa buon fine (literally: A good beginning makes a good ending)
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