1. (n.) The act of rising; a rise; an ascent.

2. (n.) The rising from the ground, or beginning, of a stream of water or the like; a spring; a fountain.

3. (n.) That from which anything comes forth, regarded as its cause or origin; the person from whom anything originates; first cause.

adviser ambition announcer annunciator antecedent aspiration author authority authorship basis begetter beginning birthplace bonanza calling cause channel commencement communicant communicator conception consideration cornucopia creator dawn dawning derivation determinant documentation enlightener expert witness font fount fountain fountainhead genesis goal gold mine gossipmonger grapevine grass roots ground guiding light guiding star head headstream headwater headwaters ideal inception informant information center information medium informer inspiration intention interviewee lode lodestar mainspring matter mine monitor mother motive mouthpiece newsmonger notifier onset opening origin original origination originator outset parent paternity press principle provenance provenience public relations officer publisher quarry radical radio radix reason reporter resource rise rising riverhead root roots rootstock sake score source of supply spokesman spring staple start starting stem stock taproot television teller tipster tout ulterior motive vein vocation well wellhead wellspring whence witness