Where does “riddlesome” come from?
riddlesome (English) comes from English riddle, from Middle English redel, from Middle English redels, from Old English rǣdels, from Proto-West Germanic rādislī, from Proto-West Germanic rādan, from Proto-Germanic rēdaną, from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₁dʰ- — to fit, to fix, to put together.
riddlesome (English): Characterised by riddles or riddling; enigmatic
Definitions
- Characterised by riddles or riddling; enigmatic
Ancestry of “riddlesome”, step by step
riddlesome traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English riddle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | riddle | A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an... |
| 2 | Middle English | redel | A riddle or enigma; an statement designed to be cryptic |
| 3 | Middle English | redels | A riddle or enigma; an statement designed to be cryptic |
| 4 | Old English | rǣdels | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | rādislī | advice, consultation; supposition, guess,... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | rādan | to advise, counsel, help; to devise, decide,... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | rēdaną | to decide, advise |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreh₁dʰ- | to think; to arrange; to succeed, accomplish |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂reh₁- | to think, reason; to arrange |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |