beginning of a dispute; outbreak of a conflict
Refers to the initial stage or trigger of a quarrel, argument, or conflict. Often used in formal or written contexts.
The dispute between the two countries began from a small border issue.
The historian analyzed the outbreak of the war in detail.
Compound of 争 (そう, 'dispute') and 端 (たん, 'beginning, edge'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys the meaning 'start of a conflict'.