enigma
pronunciation
How to pronounce enigma in British English:
UK [ɪˈnɪɡmə]
How to pronounce enigma in American English:
US [ɪˈnɪɡmə]
-
- Noun:
- something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
- a difficult problem
Word Origin
- enigma
- enigma: [16] Enigma comes, via Latin, from Greek aínigma ‘riddle, obscure statement’. This was a derivative of the verb ainíssesthai ‘talk in riddles’, which in turn came from the noun ainos ‘tale, story’. Its modern English use for ‘something puzzling’ dates from the early 17th century.
- enigma (n.)
- 1530s, "statement which conceals a hidden meaning or known thing under obscure words or forms," earlier enigmate (mid-15c.), from Latin aenigma "riddle," from Greek ainigma (plural ainigmata) "a dark saying, riddle," from ainissesthai "speak obscurely, speak in riddles," from ainos "tale, story; saying, proverb;" according to Liddell & Scott, a poetic and Ionic word, of unknown origin. General sense in English of "anything inexplicable to an observer" is from c. 1600.
Example
- 1. Even among his closest followers , mr mbeki remains an enigma .
- 2. Spider-monkey violence is still a bit of an enigma .
- 3. Not only have your discoveries resolved a major enigma in immunology , they have offered new hope for mankind in its combat against infections , cancer , and inflammatory diseases .
- 4. Whichever way you look at the eocene enigma , it is bad news for life on earth .
- 5. Adam smith ( 1723-90 ) is a mystery in a puzzle wrapped in an enigma .