English
accident
Accident comes from Old French accident, from Latin accidēns ‘happening’, present participle of accidō ‘to happen’, from ad- + cadō ‘to fall’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱad-‘to fall’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱádetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kadō‘to fall’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccidō‘happen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccidēnspresent active participle of accidō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400accident
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱad-‘to fall’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱádetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kadō‘to fall’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccidō‘happen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccidēnspresent active participle of accidō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400accident
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice: “Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances, / Of…”
first attested First attested in the late 14th century (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in the late 14th century. In the sense “unintended pregnancy”, first attested in 1932.
Linked words
through Latin cadō
case, chance, occasion, cheat, incident, decay, casualty, coincide, incidence, cadence, cadaver, deciduous, decadent, recidivism, occidental, occident, 15 more
Today it means
noun An unexpected event with negative consequences occurring without the intention of the one suffering the consequences, and (in the strict sense) not directly caused by humans.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱad- / accident