conundrum English · revision 2468

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kəˈnʌn.dɹəm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is of unknown origin.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) It was said in the 17th century to be Oxford University slang,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) and it may have begun as a mock-Latin word;^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) Skeat suggested Latin ''conandrum'' “a thing to be attempted”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A term of abuse for a person, perhaps “pedant” (1596).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word then meant a whim or crotchet (1605)^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995) and, by 1645, a pun.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) 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”.^(Etymonline) By 1790 it could mean any puzzling question,^(OED 1989) and today it usually means a difficult problem or dilemma.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1596 – a term of abuse for a person (obsolete).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1605 – a whim, a crotchet (obsolete).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1645 – a pun or play on words.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1745 – a riddle answered by a pun.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1790 – any puzzling question or problem.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A difficult, puzzling or insoluble problem; a dilemma.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A riddle whose answer involves a pun.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}