Etymology Map
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Riddle

2 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means a question or statement phrased as a puzzle

Where does the word "riddle" come from? It comes from Old English rǣdels, adopted directly into English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
rǣdels
Old English · 900s
"riddle, counsel"
from rǣdan 'to read, guess, interpret'; the Exeter Book, copied in the late 900s, preserves around ninety Old English riddles
2
Stage 2 of 2
riddle
English · 1300s
"puzzling question"
the final s was taken for a plural ending and dropped, while similar words like 'alms' and 'riches' kept theirs
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Read the full story

Riddle’s story begins in Old English: rǣdels meant “riddle, counsel.” From rǣdan 'to read, guess, interpret'; the Exeter Book, copied in the late 900s, preserves around ninety Old English riddles. It reached English by 1300s as riddle. The final s was taken for a plural ending and dropped, while similar words like 'alms' and 'riches' kept theirs. Today, riddle means a question or statement phrased as a puzzle.