accidental
UK[ˌæksɪˈdentl]US[ˌæksɪˈdentl]
adj
Happening by chance, not by plan or intention.
adj
Not essential; incidental.
n
(Music) A sign indicating a note is to be played sharp, flat, or natural.
Morpheme Breakdown
ac
cid
ental
ac
to, towards
cid
fall
ental
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word accidental originates from the Late Latin 'accidentalis', which is derived from the Latin verb 'accidere', meaning "to happen, to befall". 'Accidere' itself is a compound of 'ad-' (to, towards) and 'cadere' (to fall), creating a vivid image of an event "falling toward" someone, implying chance occurrence. This literal sense of a chance "befalling" evolved into the modern abstract meaning of something happening by chance or without design. The musical term for a notation sign is a specialized extension of this core idea, referring to a pitch alteration that is not part of the key's inherent structure.
Analysis
Structure: ac (to, towards) + cid (fall) + ental (adjective suffix)
- ac: Latin prefix (ad-), meaning "to, towards". It assimilates to 'ac-' before 'c'.
- cid: Latin root (cadere/cid-), meaning "to fall, to happen, to befall".
- ental: Latin-derived adjective-forming suffix (-ent + -al), indicating "pertaining to, characterized by".
Examples
Our meeting was purely accidental; I hadn't expected to see her there.
The damage to the car was accidental, not deliberate.
The composer used an accidental to raise the note by a half step.