expression, noun
origin of an affair; spark that lit the fuse; beginning
Refers to the very start or root cause of a matter, often a problem or incident. Used in explanatory or narrative contexts.
事の発端は、小さな誤解だった。
The origin of the affair was a small misunderstanding.
警察は事の発端を詳しく調べている。
The police are investigating the beginning of the incident in detail.
発端 alone means 'origin' or 'beginning' and is more formal/literary. 事の発端 is a set phrase specifically for the start of an affair or incident.
きっかけ is a more common, everyday word for 'trigger' or 'impetus', while 事の発端 emphasizes the initial point of a matter, often with a narrative or explanatory tone.
A set phrase combining 事 (thing, matter) and 発端 (origin, beginning). The reading ほったん for 発端 is a standard Sino-Japanese compound.