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)

(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

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

sloth; slothfulness
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Parsons Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], OCLC 230972125; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, OCLC 932884868:
  Aftere þe synnes of Envie I wil speke of þe synne of Accidie.
  (please add an English translation of this quote)

Descendants

English: accidie

References

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