accidence

Meaning

Noun

• The accidents or inflections of words; the rudiments of grammar.
• The rudiments of any subject.
• A book containing the first principles of grammar; a book containing the rudiments of any subject or art.

Origin

• First attested in the late 14th century.
• First attested in the mid 15th century.
• From Middle English accidence, accidens, from Latin accidentia ("accidental matters"), from accidēns, present participle of accidere