accident etymology

Etymology:

The word "accident" comes from the Middle English word "accident," which in turn derives from the Old French word "accident" and the Late Latin word "accidens." The Latin word "accidere" means "to happen, to befall, to occur," and is derived from the prefix "ad-" (to) and the verb "cadere" (to fall).

Meaning:

An accident is an event that happens by chance and without apparent cause. It refers to an unexpected, unintentional, and often undesirable occurrence. Accidents can be harmful or even fatal, but they do not typically involve deliberate or malicious intent.

Origin:

The use of the term "accident" to refer to an event that happens by chance can be traced back to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. In his book "Physics," Aristotle distinguished between "chance" (automaton) and "necessary causation" (anagkaion). He defined chance as "that which happens without being either for the sake of some end or by necessity."

Over time, the concept of chance was expanded to include events that were not strictly random, but were nonetheless unforeseen or unexpected. The word "accident" was gradually adopted to describe these types of occurrences, and it has continued to be used in this sense for centuries.

In modern usage, the term "accident" is often contrasted with "intentional" or "purposeful" acts. Accidents are typically attributed to factors such as human error, environmental hazards, or mechanical failures. They can occur in a wide range of contexts, including traffic collisions, workplace injuries, and natural disasters.

accident relate terms

  • accidence

    Etymology Old French accident Latin accidens nominative accidens from the present

  • 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

  • accident

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

  • stroke

    Etymology The word stroke comes from the Old English word strāc which means a blow

  • contretemps

    Etymology French contretemps Latin contra against tempus time Meaning An u

  • casual

    Etymology The word casual is derived from the Latin word casus which means chance

  • imagism

    Etymology Origin Latin imago image English ism doctrine Meaning A lite

  • casualty

    Etymology From Middle English casualte casuelte From Anglo Norman casuelté casueté F

  • jack knife

    Etymology The term jack knife originated from the 17th century and is believed to have

  • symptom

    Etymology Ancient Greek σύμπτωμα sýmptōma meaning incident concomitant

  • lottery

    Etymology The word lottery derives from the Middle Dutch word lotterij or lotterie

  • injury

    Etymology Middle English injure Old French enjoindre from Latin injungere Latin in