accidie

English

Alternative forms

• acedia

Etymology

From Middle English accidie, from Anglo-Norman accidie, Old French accide, accidie, from Late Latin accīdia, alteration of acēdia (“sloth, torpor”), from Ancient Greek ἀκήδεια (akḗdeia, “indifference”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) +‎ κῆδος (kêdos, “care”). Doublet of acedia.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈæk.sɪ.di/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæk.sə.di/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

accidie (uncountable)

1. (now literary) Sloth, slothfulness, especially as inducing general listlessness and apathy. [from 13th c.]
   • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 363:

     Underneath the surface excitements the demon of accidie had her by the hair.

Translations

general listlessness and apathy

• Portuguese: acídia f

Anagrams

• cecidia

Italian

Noun

accidie f

1. plural of accidia

Middle English

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman accidie and Old French accide, accidie, from Late Latin accīdia, alteration of earlier acēdia, from Ancient Greek ἀκήδεια (akḗdeia).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aksiˈdiː(ə)/, /ˈaksidiː(ə)/

Noun

accidie

1. sloth; slothfulness
   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Parsons Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:

     Aftere þe synnes of Envie I wil speke of þe synne of Accidie.

     After the sins of Envy I will speak of the sin of Sloth.

Descendants

• English: accidie

References

• “accīdie, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.