1.
dawn of an era; early period; infancy
The very beginning or earliest stage of a field, movement, era, or technology. A formal and literary term often used in historical, academic, and journalistic writing.
インターネットの黎明期を知っている。
I remember the early days of the internet.
日本映画の黎明期について研究している。
I'm researching the dawn of Japanese cinema.
AI技術はまだ黎明期にあるが、すでに社会に大きな影響を与え始めている。
AI technology is still in its infancy, but it has already begun to have a major impact on society.
Compound of 黎明 (dawn, daybreak) + 期 (period). Literally the "dawn period" of something.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 黎明期にある (be in the early stages)
- 黎明期の技術 (early-stage technology)
- 黎明期を迎える (enter the dawn of)
- 黎明期から (since the early days)
USAGE NOTES:
A formal, somewhat literary word. Common in essays, documentaries, and news features looking back at the origins of something. The standalone 黎明 means dawn (literal or figurative) and can be used without 期 in more poetic contexts.