"accident" in seven languages

Meaningaccident

Spanish

accidente

/akθiˈdente/

masc.learned

French

accident

/aksidɑ̃/

masc.learned

Italian

incidente

/intʃiˈdɛnte/

masc.other source · Latin INCIDENTEM 'falling upon' (learned)

Accidente exists, but it means a sudden illness or, as accidenti!, 'damn!'.

Portuguese

acidente

/asiˈdẽtʃi/

masc.learned

Romanian

accident

/aktʃiˈdent/

neut.learned

Catalan

accident

/əksiˈden/

masc.learned

English

accident

/ˈæksədənt/

from Latin/French · Old French accident / Latin ACCIDENTEM

English → ItalianaccidentincidenteNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: incident, coincidence, occasion.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

ACCIDENTEM‘happening (from ACCIDERE 'to fall upon')’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Both Latin words describe something 'falling' on you. A car accident is un accidente and un accident, but in Italy it is un incidente.

English relatives: incident, coincidence, occasion

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In a sentence

esHa habido un accidente en la autopista.
frIl y a eu un accident sur l'autoroute.
itC'è stato un incidente in autostrada.
ptHouve um acidente na rodovia.
roA fost un accident pe autostradă.
caHi ha hagut un accident a l'autopista.
enThere was an accident on the motorway.

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