charade 的词源

1776年，这个词源自法语的 charade（18世纪），可能源于普罗旺斯语的 charrado，意为“长篇大论、闲聊”。其具体来源尚不明确，可能与 charrar（“闲聊、 gossip”）有关，属于拟声词。与之类似的还有意大利语的 ciarlare 和西班牙语的 charlar，均意为“谈话、喋喋不休”。

An enigma whose solution is a word of two or more syllables, each of which separately significant in sound, and which, as well as the whole word, must be discovered from a dialogue or description in which it is used, or from dramatic representation. [Century Dictionary]

这种谜语的解答是一个由两个或多个音节组成的单词，每个音节在发音上都有独立的意义。参与者需要通过对话或描述，或者通过戏剧表演来发现这个单词及其组成部分。[《世纪词典》]

最初，这种游戏是一种基于特定规则的诗句文字游戏，玩家通过神秘的描述来揭示单词或音节的含义。

As we have ever made it a Rule to shew our Attention to the Reader, by 'catching the Manners living, as they rise,' as Mr. Pope expresses it, we think ourselves obliged to give Place to the following Specimens of a new Kind of SMALL WIT, which, for some Weeks past, has been the Subject of Conversation in almost every Society, from the Court to the Cottage. The CHARADE is, in fact, a near Relation of the old Rebus. It is usually formed from a Word of two Syllables; the first Syllable is described by the Writer; then the second; they are afterwards united and the whole Word marked out .... [supplement to The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure, volumes 58-59, 1776] 

我们一直以来都遵循一个原则，那就是“捕捉生活中的风俗，如同它们自然呈现”，正如波普先生所说。因此，我们有责任向读者展示以下几则新型小品，这种小品最近几周在几乎所有社交场合—from the Court to the Cottage（从宫廷到乡村）—都成为了热议的话题。实际上，CHARADE（字谜）与古老的谜语非常相似。它通常由一个两个音节的单词构成；作者先描述第一个音节，然后是第二个音节；最后将它们结合起来，完整的单词就这样被揭示出来……[《知识与娱乐的百科全书》补充卷，第58-59卷，1776年] 

以下是一些示例：

My first makes all nature appear of one face;

At the next we find music, and beauty and grace;

And, if this Charade is most easily read,

I think that the third shou'd be thrown at my head.

我的第一个让大自然呈现出同一面貌；

在下一个音节中，我们发现音乐、美丽与优雅；

如果这个字谜最容易解读，

我想第三个音节应该是扔向我的头。

答案是“雪球”。无声字谜，即现代主要形式，最初是一种变体，称为 dumb charades ，遵循传统模式。表演团队会按照顺序表演所有部分，观众团队则在他们表演完毕后开始猜测。

There is one species of charade which is performed solely by "dumb motions," somewhat resembling the child's game of "trades and professions"; but the acting charade is a much more amusing, and more difficult matter. ["Goldoni, and Modern Italian Comedy," in The Foreign And Colonial Quarterly Review, vol. vi, 1846] 

有一种字谜仅通过“哑剧动作”来表演，略似儿童游戏“职业与行业”；但表演字谜则要有趣得多，也难得多。[《戈尔多尼与现代意大利喜剧》，《外国与殖民地季刊评论》，第六卷，1846年] 

一本1850年的书《表演字谜》提到，Charades en Action 在法国社会中风靡一时，“最近，这个游戏被引入到一些热爱欢笑的英国绅士的客厅中。它的成功令人瞩目。”威尔士语的 siarad 显然是一个外来词。