1
Stage 1 of 4
ainigma
Greek · ancient
"a riddle"
meaning "a riddle" or "dark saying"
2
Stage 2 of 4
aenigma
Latin · ancient
"a riddle, puzzle"
adopted through Greek rhetorical tradition
3
Stage 3 of 4
enigme
French · medieval
"a puzzle, mystery"
carried the term into French
4
Stage 4 of 4
enigma
English · 1500s
"a puzzling or mysterious thing"
settled as the English word for something puzzling
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom