Where does “énigme” come from?
énigme (French) comes from Latin ænigma, from Ancient Greek αἴνιγμα, from Ancient Greek -μᾰ, from Proto-Indo-European -mn̥ — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs.
énigme (French): enigma, puzzle; riddle
Ancestry of “énigme”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | ænigma | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | αἴνιγμα | riddle; taunt; An obscure method of communication |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | -μᾰ | "suffix forming a noun denoting the result of an... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -mn̥ | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs |