- Formation
- Borrowing
- Borrowed from
- Latin aenigma
- Ultimate origin
- Ancient Greek (αἴνιγμα)
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ɪˈnɪɡmə/, /əˈnɪɡmə/[1]
Etymology
It is borrowed from Latin aenigma (“riddle”),[2][3][4][5][6] from Ancient Greek αἴνιγμα (aínigma, “a dark saying, riddle”),[2][3][4][5] from ainíssesthai “to speak in riddles”,[2][3][4][5] from aînos “tale, fable, proverb”,[2][3][5] a word of unknown origin.[5] The spelling with e- was influenced by Middle French énigme.[4] An anglicized form enigmate occurs earlier (before 1449).[4][5]
Earliest recorded meaning
An obscure or allusive speech; a parable (1539).[7][3] Etymonline dates the word to the 1530s and Barnhart to 1588.[5][4]
Semantic evolution
The word first named a riddle: a statement or composition that hides its meaning under obscure metaphors.[7][5] By about 1600 it was used of anything as puzzling as a riddle,[7][5] and later of a mysterious or inscrutable person.[3][6] With a capital it names the German cipher machine of the Second World War.[6][1]
Timeline
- a1449 – enigmate.[4]
- 1539 – an obscure speech; a parable.[7][3]
- c1605 – something puzzling; an unsolved problem.[7]
- 1628 – enigmatic.[4]
Modern meaning
Noun
- Something puzzling, ambiguous or inexplicable.
- A person of puzzling or contradictory character.
- A riddle; an obscure or perplexing speech or writing.
Word family
- enigmatic
Related words
- puzzle
- riddle
References
- ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
- ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
- ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Related etymologies
- philanthropy · also from Greek
- phantom · also from Greek
- pelican · also from Greek
- oasis · also from Greek
- marmalade · also from Greek
- government · also from Greek
- system · also from Greek
- indigo · also from Greek
Cite this entry
“Enigma.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/enigma. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.
Last edited on . ·