conundrum

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kəˈnʌn.dɹəm/^[1]

Etymology

It is of unknown origin.^[2][3][4][5] It was said in the 17th century to be Oxford University slang,^[5][4] and it may have begun as a mock-Latin word;^[4][5][6] Skeat suggested Latin conandrum “a thing to be attempted”.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A term of abuse for a person, perhaps “pedant” (1596).^[7][4][5]

Semantic evolution

The word then meant a whim or crotchet (1605)^[7][4] and, by 1645, a pun.^[7][4][5] From 1745 it named a riddle whose answer turns on a pun, such as “Why is a sash window like a woman in labour? Because it is full of panes”.^[5] By 1790 it could mean any puzzling question,^[7] and today it usually means a difficult problem or dilemma.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1596 – a term of abuse for a person (obsolete).^[7][4]
• 1605 – a whim, a crotchet (obsolete).^[7][4]
• 1645 – a pun or play on words.^[7][4][3]
• 1745 – a riddle answered by a pun.^[5]
• 1790 – any puzzling question or problem.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A difficult, puzzling or insoluble problem; a dilemma.
2. A riddle whose answer involves a pun.

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press