incunabula

plural noun sing. incunabulum

1. the very first stages of anything; infancy; beginnings
2. early printed books; esp., books printed before 1500

Origin: L, neut. pl., swaddling clothes, cradle origin < in-, in + cunabula, neut. pl., a cradle, dim. of cunae, fem. pl., a cradle < IE *oinā, bed < base *kei-, to lie down > home