I. Act., to lay the foundation of a thing, to begin, commence (syn. incipere; opp. absolvere, perficere; class.).
A. In gen.
(α).
With acc.: “ut Phidias potest a primo instituere signum idque perficere, potest ab alio incohatum accipere et absolvere,” Cic. Fin. 4, 13, 34; cf.: “ut nemo pictor esset inventus, qui Coae Veneris eam partem, quam Apelles incohatam reliquisset, absolveret,” id. Off. 3, 2, 9; 3, 7, 33: “statuam,” Quint. 2, 1, 12: “res in animis nostris,” Cic. Leg. 1, 16, 44: “quas res nos in consulatu nostro gessimus, attigit hic versibus atque incohavit,” id. Arch. 11, 28: “philosophiam multis locis incohasti,” id. Ac. 1, 3, 9: “quod mihi nuper in Tusculano incohasti de oratoribus,” id. Brut. 5, 20: “quod hic liber incohat,” Quint. 3, 1, 2: “hanc materiam,” id. 4 praef. § 5: “abrupto, quem incohaverat, sermone,” id. 4, 3, 13: “esse videatur octonarium incohat,” id. 9, 4, 73: “referamus nos igitur ad eum, quem volumus incohandum et eloquentia informandum,” Cic. Or. 9, 33: “Favonius ver incohans,” Plin. 16, 25, 39, § 94: “incohandae vindemiae dies,” id. 11, 14, 14, § 35: “pulcherrimum facinus,” Curt. 6, 7: “tum Stygio regi nocturnas incohat aras,” i. e. begins to sacrifice, Verg. A. 6, 252: “reges plures incohantur, ne desint,” are chosen, Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 51.—
(β).
With inf.: “quam si mens fieri proponit et incohat ipsa,” Lucr. 3, 183; Luc. 10, 174; Pall. Dec. 2.—
B. In partic., pregn. in the part. perf.: incŏhātus , a, um, only begun (opp. to finished, completed), unfinished, incomplete, imperfect (mostly Ciceron.): “ne hanc incohatam transigam comoediam,” Plaut. Am. 3, 1, 8: “qui exaedificaret suam incohatam ignaviam,” id. Trin. 1, 2, 95: “quae adulescentulis nobis ex commentariolis nostris incohata ac rudia exciderunt,” Cic. de Or. 1, 2, 5: “cognitio manca atque incohata,” id. Off. 1, 43, 153: “incohatum quiddam et confusum,” id. Rep. 3, 2: “rem tam praeclaram incohatam relinquere,” id. N. D. 1, 20, 56; cf. id. Rep. 1, 35: “perfecta anteponuntur incohatis,” id. Top. 18, 69; cf.: “hoc incohati cujusdam officii est, non perfecti,” id. Fin. 4, 6, 15.—
II. Neutr., to begin, commence, take a beginning.
