The word 初期 is formed by combining the character 初, meaning "beginning", which is itself composed of the radical 衣 (clothing) and 刀 (knife), historically representing the cutting of cloth to initiate garment-making, with the character 期, meaning "period", composed of the radical 月 (month) and the component 其 to denote a time frame. In the compound, 初 modifies 期 to specify the initial phase of a time span, resulting in the meaning "early stage" or "initial period".