Where does “riddle” come from?
Riddle comes from Middle English redel, from Old English rǣdels, from Old French rider, from Proto-Germanic hrīdrą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots krey- and wer-.
riddle (English): A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an...
Definitions
- A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an...
Ancestry of “riddle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | redel | A riddle or enigma; an statement designed to be cryptic |
| 2 | Middle English | redels | A riddle or enigma; an statement designed to be cryptic |
| 3 | Old English | rǣdels | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | rādislī | advice, consultation; supposition, guess,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | rādan | to advise, counsel, help; to devise, decide,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | rēdaną | to decide, advise |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreh₁dʰ- | to think; to arrange; to succeed, accomplish |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂reh₁- | to think, reason; to arrange |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |