Etymology Map
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Charade

3 stages from Occitan to English.

Today it means a game of acting out words for others to guess

Where does the word "charade" come from? It comes from Occitan charrado, passing through French before entering English (1770s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
charrado
Occitan · 1700s
"chatter"
chatter, idle talk
2
Stage 2 of 3
charade
French · 1700s
"word riddle"
a riddle game, first written, later acted out
3
Stage 3 of 3
charade
English · 1770s
"guessing game"
acted charades became a favourite Victorian parlour game; 'a charade' as a pretence dates from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Charade’s story begins in Occitan: charrado meant “chatter.” Chatter, idle talk. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in French as charade. A riddle game, first written, later acted out. It reached English by 1770s as charade. Acted charades became a favourite Victorian parlour game; 'a charade' as a pretence dates from the 1900s. Today, charade means a game of acting out words for others to guess.