accident

Where does the word "accident" come from? It comes from Latin accidere, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Accident’s story begins in Latin: accidere meant “to happen, to fall toward.” To fall toward, to happen, from ad- (toward) and cadere (to fall). It reached English by 1300s as accident. First recorded in 1395 in a Lollard tract attacking church abuses, where it carried the scholastic sense of a non-essential quality. Today, accident means an unfortunate event that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient accidere "to happen, to fall toward", to fall toward, to happen, from ad- (toward) and cadere (to fall).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s accident "an unexpected and unintentional event, often unfortunate", first recorded in 1395 in a Lollard tract attacking church abuses, where it carried the scholastic sense of a non-essential quality.