Obs. Forms: 3–4 acci·de, accy·de; 3–5 acci·die, accy·dye, a·ccidye; 5–6 a·ccydye. [a. OFr. acci·de, aci·de, ONormFr. acci·die, aci·die; ad. med.L. accīdia, corrupt. of late L. acēdia, a. Gr. ἀκηδία heedlessness, torpor (in Cicero, Att., xii. 45) n. of state f. ἀ not + κῆδ-ος care, κήδ-ομαι. I care, lit. non-caring-state. Acēdia became a favorite ecclesiastical word, applied primarily to the mental prostration of recluses, induced by fasting, and other physical causes; afterwards the proper term for the 4th cardinal sin, sloth, sluggishness. (See Chaucer, Persones T., 603.) Its Greek origin being forgotten, the word was variously ‘derived’ from acidum sour (see Cæsarius quoted in Du Cange, and Roquefort ‘Acide: Ennui, tristesse, dégoût: d’acidum’); and from accidĕre to come upon one as an accident or access, whence the med.L. corruption, accidia, and OFr. and Eng. acci·de, acci·die. The latter is Norman, the former Parisian; the later Eng. accentuation was a·ccidie. With the restoration of Gr. learning, the L. became again acedia, whence a rare ACEDY in 17th c.] Sloth, torpor.
c. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 208. Under accidie, þet ich cleopede slouhðe.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 4784. Swych synne men kalle accyde Yn Goddes seruyse slogh betyde. Ibid., 5326. Hyt ys sloghnes and kalled accyde, Fro goddys seruyse so long þe hyde.
c. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Treat., 21. Breke doune also as þou may flesshely likyngis oþer in accidie or in bodili ease, or glotonie, or licherye.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. V. 366. And after al þis excesse He hadde an accidie Þat he slepte saterday and sonday.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Persones T., 603. After the synne of Enuye and of Ire, now wol I speken of the synne of Accidie [Lansd. MS. accide].
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 19. To serve accidie in his office, There is of slouth an other vice.
1484. Caxton, Ordre of Chyualry, 81. A man that hath accydye or slouthe hath sorowe and angre the whyle that he knoweth that an other man doth wel. Ibid. (1484), Ryall Book, A 5. The fourth heed of the beest of hell is slouthe, whyche is callyd of clerkys accidye.
1520. W. de Worde, Treatise of this Galaunt (Furnivall’s Ball. fr. MSS., I. 448). Abhomynable accydye accuseth all our nacyon Our aungelyke abstynence is nowe refused.
