Beginning, Cord, Thread

Interesting Fact

The kanji 緒 contains 糸, the thread radical, and 者. Its original sense is closely connected with the loose end or beginning of a thread. From that physical image came the idea of a starting point or the beginning of something. This connection survives in the expression 端緒（たんしょ）, meaning a beginning, clue, or starting point. So the idea of a tiny thread-end eventually became a metaphor for the point where a much larger matter begins.