accidie

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromἀκήδεια“indifference”
2. Late Latin · derived fromaccīdia
3. Old French · derived fromaccide
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromaccidie
5. Middle English · inherited fromaccidie
6. English todayaccidie

From Middle English accidie, from Anglo-Norman accidie, Old French accide, accidie, from Late Latin accīdia, alteration of acēdia (“sloth, torpor”), from Ancient Greek ἀκήδεια (akḗdeia, “indifference”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + κῆδος (kêdos, “care”). Doublet of acedia.

First known use, by meaning

• from 13th c. Sloth, slothfulness, especially as inducing general listlessness and apathy.