accidence

/'æksidəns/

Friendly

Word: Accidence

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Accidence refers to a part of grammar that deals with how words change form to express different grammatical features. This includes changes in tense, number, gender, and case. In simpler terms, it looks at how words are "inflected" or altered in order to fit into sentences correctly.

Usage Instructions:

• Basic Usage: Accidence is often discussed in the context of learning grammar, especially in subjects like linguistics or foreign language studies. When studying a language, you might learn about verb tenses (like past or present) or noun plurals (like "cat" becoming "cats")—these changes are part of accidence.
• Example Sentence: "In English, the accidence of the verb 'to be' includes forms like 'am,' 'is,' and 'are.'"

Advanced Usage:

• In advanced studies, accidence can also involve more complex aspects like mood (indicative, subjunctive, imperative) and voice (active vs. passive).
• Example in Advanced Context: "Understanding the accidence of Latin verbs is crucial for translating ancient texts."

Word Variants:

• Accidental (adjective): Related to something happening by chance or not planned.
• Accidentally (adverb): By chance; unintentionally.

Different Meaning:

While "accidence" primarily refers to grammar, it can also refer to occurrences or events that happen by chance. However, this usage is rare and mostly seen in literature or discussions about fate.

Synonyms:

• Inflection
• Morphology (more technical, often used in linguistic studies)
• Grammar (in a broader sense)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "accidence," but understanding the word can help you grasp other idiomatic expressions related to grammar.

Summary:

Accidence is an essential concept in understanding how words function and change within a language.

Academic

Noun

1. the part of grammar that deals with the inflections of words

Synonyms

• inflectional morphology