Accidence is a term that is commonly used in the field of linguistics. It refers to the study of the inflectional forms of words, including their endings and other grammatical features. In this article, we will explore the definition and meaning of accidence, as well as its origin, associations, synonyms, antonyms, and examples of usage.
Definitions
Accidence is defined as the branch of grammar that deals with the inflection of words, including their endings and other grammatical features. It is also known as inflectional morphology or simply morphology.
Origin
The word ‘accidence’ comes from the Latin word ‘accidentia’, which means ‘occurrences’ or ‘circumstances’. It was first used in English in the 16th century to refer to the study of the inflectional forms of words.
Meaning in different dictionaries
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, accidence is “the branch of grammar concerned with the inflection of words, especially the endings of nouns, adjectives, and verbs.” Merriam-Webster defines it as “the part of grammar that deals with the inflection of words.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “the way in which the endings of words change to show their different grammatical uses.”
Associations
Accidence is closely associated with other fields of linguistics, such as syntax, semantics, and phonology. It is also related to the study of language acquisition, as children must learn the inflectional forms of words in order to use them correctly in sentences.
Synonyms
Some synonyms for accidence include inflectional morphology, morphology, and grammatical inflection.
Antonyms
There are no direct antonyms for accidence, as it is a specific term in the field of linguistics. However, some related terms that could be considered antonyms include syntax and phonology, which deal with the structure and sound of language, respectively.
The same root words
There are no other words that share the same root as accidence.
Example Sentences
- The study of accidence is essential for understanding the structure of language.
- Accidence can be a challenging subject for language learners, as it involves many complex rules.
- The teacher explained the accidence of the verb to the class, using examples to illustrate its different forms.
- In Latin, accidence played a crucial role in the formation of words and sentences.
- Accidence is an important aspect of language that allows us to convey meaning through the use of inflectional forms.