English
incident
Incident comes from Middle French incident, from Latin incidēns, the participle of incidō ‘to happen’, from cadō ‘to fall’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱad-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱad-‘to fall’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱád-e-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kadō‘to fall’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadō‘to fall’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincidō‘to happen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincidēns‘happening’present active participle of incidō
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600incident
- Englishearliest quotation 1671same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱad-‘to fall’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱád-e-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kadō‘to fall’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadō‘to fall’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincidō‘to happen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincidēns‘happening’present active participle of incidō
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600incident
- Englishearliest quotation 1671same form
Earliest quotation: 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes, […].: “All chances incident to mans frail life.”
The story
Recorded since 1412, from Middle French incident, from Latin incidens, the present active participle of incidō (‘to happen, befall’), itself from in- (‘on’) + -cidō, the combining form of cadō (‘to fall’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d-
casual, cascade, coincidence, decadence, 2 more
through Latin cadō ‘to fall’
case, chance, occasion, cheat, accident, decay, casualty, cadaver, coincide, cadence, deciduous, decadent, recidivism, occidental, occident, 16 more
through Latin incidō ‘to happen, befall’
Today it means
noun An event or occurrence.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱad- / incident