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Rebus

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a puzzle in which pictures represent words or syllables

Where does the word "rebus" come from? It comes from Latin rēbus, passing through French before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
rēbus
Latin · ancient
"by things"
'by things', ablative plural of 'rēs', thing
2
Stage 2 of 3
rébus
French · 1500s
"picture puzzle"
said to come from 'de rebus quae geruntur', satirical picture-riddles made by clerks of Picardy at carnival time
3
Stage 3 of 3
rebus
English · 1600s
"picture puzzle"
used for heraldic puns in pictures and for word puzzles
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Read the full story

Rebus’s story begins in Latin: rēbus meant “by things.” 'by things', ablative plural of 'rēs', thing. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as rébus. Said to come from 'de rebus quae geruntur', satirical picture-riddles made by clerks of Picardy at carnival time. It reached English by 1600s as rebus. Used for heraldic puns in pictures and for word puzzles. Today, rebus means a puzzle in which pictures represent words or syllables.