scirpus

Meaning

1. (declension-2, masculine) a rush, bulrush
2. (declension-2, figuratively, masculine) riddle, enigma

Synonyms

aenigma

problema

Translations

Änigma

Kopfnuss

Rätsel

Scherzfrage

Denksportaufgabe

αίνιγμα

γρίφος

casse-tête

devinette

énigme

scirpe

enigma

indovinello

rompicapo

enigma

Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈskɪr.pʊs]

Etymology

Uncertain. Possibly from a root similar to Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerbʰ- (“to turn (around), wind”) (compare corbis (“basket”), Ancient Greek κάρφος (kárphos, “stalk, straw”), and descendants of Proto-Balto-Slavic *karbás and Proto-West Germanic *korb (“basket”)), but an inherited origin for all of these is controversial. Even if scirp- is indeed related to this set, the phonetics (root vowel i, coda p) are incongruent with inheritance from PIE and so might indicate a wanderwort or substrate language source. Alternatively, De Vaan tentatively suggests a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerp- (“to pluck, cut off”), whence carpō (“to pluck harvest”).
The figurative sense derives from the plaiting of rushes to make intricate patterns.