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a·ce·di·a

(ə-sēdē-ə)

Spiritual torpor and apathy; ennui.

[Late Latin, from Greek akēdeia, indifference : a-, a-; see A-¹ + kēdos, care, anxiety; akin to Avestan sādra-, woe, Welsh cawdd, vexation, and Old English hete, hate.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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