2 activate, embark upon, engender, enter upon, get going, get (something) off the ground (informal) get the ball rolling, initiate, instigate, kick off (informal) kick-start, make a beginning, open, originate, put one's hand to the plough (informal) set about, set in motion, set the ball rolling, start the ball rolling ...
The Latin word dies means day, and diurnus means of a day. From the word diurnus came the early French jour, meaning day, and journee, meaning a day's work, a day's travel. Journee was borrowed into Middle English with both of its meanings, but only the second one, a day's travel, came into widespread use.