Wordwyrt

accident

/ˈæksədənt/AK-suh-duhnt
/ˈæksədənt/AK-suh-duhnt

Meaningsomething that falls upon you

Common meaning: an unplanned event, often causing harm

‘to, towards’ + ‘to fall’ → accident

Journey through time

  1. Latincadō, cecidī, cāsum‘to fall’
  2. Englishaccident‘an unplanned event, often causing harm’ · today

ac- also in: accessaccordaccostaccrueaccuse

cid also in: casecasualcasualtycoincideincident

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin cadō ‘to fall’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry cadō, p. 258 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

casecasualcasualtycoincidedecadenceincidentoccasion

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