accidence etymology

Etymology:

  • Old French: accident
  • Latin: accidens (nominative accidens), from the present participle of accidere ("to happen, to befall")
  • Proto-Indo-European: *ad-kad- ("to fall towards")

Meaning and Origin:

"Accident" originally meant something that happened by chance or unexpectedly. It derived from the Latin word "accidens," which was the present participle of the verb "accidere," meaning "to happen" or "to befall." The prefix "ad-" in "accidere" indicated "towards," and the root "cad-" meant "to fall." Thus, "accidere" literally meant "to fall towards," referring to something happening unexpectedly.

Over time, the meaning of "accident" evolved to refer specifically to an unforeseen and often harmful event. This sense was influenced by the Latin phrase "casus accidentalis," which meant "a chance occurrence" and was used in legal contexts to describe unintentional acts.

In modern English, "accident" is used to describe:

  • An unexpected and unplanned event, often causing harm or damage
  • A mischance or mishap
  • A characteristic or attribute of something, especially one that is unexpected or incidental

accidence relate terms

  • accident

    Etymology The word accident comes from the Middle English word accident which in tu

  • accidental

    Etymology The term accidental etymology is not widely recognized in linguistics Howev

  • morphology

    Morphology Etymology Greek morphē form shape logos study Meaning The s

  • democracy

    Etymology The word democracy is derived from the Greek words dēmos δήμος mea

  • prejudice

    Etymology Middle English prejudice n prejudicen v Late Latin praejudicium Lati

  • lord

    Etymology The word lord comes from the Old English word hlāford which is derived fr

  • turpitude

    Etymology The word turpitude comes from the Latin word turpitudo meaning ugliness

  • family

    Etymology The word family comes from the Old French word famille which in turn deriv

  • threshold

    Etymology Old English therscwald doorsill threshold From Proto Germanic threskō

  • brand

    Brand Etymology Meaning and Origin Etymology The word brand derives from the Old Nor