Etymology:
The word "serendipity" comes from the Persian fairy tale "The Three Princes of Serendip," written in the 15th century.
Meaning:
The ability to discover something valuable or unexpected accidentally or by chance.
Origin:
The term was coined by Horace Walpole in a letter to his friend Horace Mann in 1754:
"I once read a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their Highnesses travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of."
Walpole applied the term to describe the accidental discovery of a painting by Carlo Dolci, which he had not been looking for.
Usage:
"Serendipity" is often used to refer to:
Etymology Serendipitous derives from Serendip the ancient name for Sri Lanka Mean
Etymology The word serendipity comes from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of
Etymology The word fluke has several possible etymologies Scandinavian Derived fro
Etymology of Chief The word chief comes from the Old French word chief which in tu
Etymology Latin controllus meaning check restraint French contrôle English
Etymology The word prayer comes from the Middle English word preiere which in turn d
Etymology Old High German quëllan Old Saxon quellan Middle Low German quellen Middle
Etymology The word case derives from the Old French word cas which in turn comes fro
Etymology The word handsome originated in the 13th century from the Middle English wor
Etymology Old English gild Anglo Saxon gildan meaning to pay or to contribute
Etymology Middle English orizont from Old French orizont from Late Latin horizon fr
Etymology The word disdain comes from the Old French word desdaignier meaning to
