What Is A Riddle And Who Invented It?
Where Did The Word Riddle Come From?
The word riddle comes from the word read, which in Old English would be ræ̅dan. This meant to interpret or guess.
Let us pause here for a second and define some of the words.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Riddle | In Spanish – enigma A question or phrase that requires an answer. |
| ræ̅dan | An Old English word that means interpret or guess. |
| Interpret | In Spanish – Interpretar To explain the meaning. |
| Guess | In Spanish – adivinar An estimation or conclusion without facts. |
Is There A Purpose To A Riddle?
A riddle is created to deceive a person. The riddler wants the person to look at the problem from different angles to get to the correct answer in the end. It is thus created to make you THINK!
What Are The Difference Between A Brain Teaser, Puzzle, And A Riddle?
Now, here is where things get interesting! You might think that a brain teaser, a riddle, and a puzzle is the same thing, but it isn’t. So let us look at the three:
- A Riddle is a statement or question that wants you to think. It can sometimes have a double meaning to make it more confusing for you but it there is a correct answer for a riddle.
- A Puzzle is a toy that tries to test a persons ingenuity and knowledge. Ingenuity is a word that basically refer to how clever you are! A puzzle can come in different shapes and sizes such as crossword puzzles, word-search puzzles, and number puzzles.
- A Brain teaser is a type of puzzle that needs to be solved by thinking of a different solution. A unconventional solution – Una solución poco convencional. Riddles and brain teasers are both usually verbal – you will thus have to ask your friend the question.
Based on these definitions, it is obvious that a brain teaser is similar to a riddle and both are very puzzling! All three have the same purpose – to challenge or test your brain. They also help to improve your knowledge and logical reasoning (a way of thinking). You might need to consider a different way of thinking to solve any of the three.
Who Created The First Brain Teaser?
Archimedes was a Greek mathematician who created mathematical problems and asked people to solve them; the first brain teasers came from him!
Who Created The First Puzzle?
John Spilsbury created the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767; he was an engraver, he made engravings in stone, metal and wood (hacía grabados en piedra, metal y madera) and map creator (cartographer) who turned a map into the first puzzle. He wanted to teach people about the countries in Europe!
Who Created The First Riddle?
Well, that is a riddle in itself! Many different cultures as far back as the Babylonians made use of riddles, but who created the first one? Well, that is a mystery.
A Review
Let us review what you have learned in this lesson:
- The word riddle came from the word read.
- There is a difference between a riddle, brain teaser and a puzzle
- The first person who created a brain teaser was Archimedes
- The first puzzle was created by John Spilsbury
- An the creator of the riddle, well this is a mystery indeed!
