charade（n.）
“Charade”一词最早出现于1776年的法语 charade（18世纪），可能源自普罗旺斯语 charrado “长篇对话，闲聊”，其起源不明，可能源自拟声词 charrar “闲聊，聊天”。与之类似的词还有意大利语 ciarlare，西班牙语 charlar 等。
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]
这是一个谜语，答案是一个由两个或两个以上音节组成的单词，每个音节都有独立的意义，整个单词必须从对话或描述中发现，或从戏剧表演中发现。[世纪词典]
这个游戏最初是基于单词或音节的谜语描述的诗歌文字游戏。
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]
我们一直遵循向读者展示我们的关注的规则，正如 Pope 先生所说的，“抓住生活中的礼仪，因为它们崛起”，我们认为自己有义务让以下新型小聪明的样本获得一席之地，这种样本几乎在从法院到小屋的每个社交场合都是谈论的话题。实际上，Charade 与古老的 Rebus 有着密切的关系。它通常由两个音节的单词组成； 作者首先描述第一个音节，然后是第二个音节； 然后将它们结合起来，并标出整个单词……[《知识和乐趣的普及杂志》补充版，卷58-59，1776年]
其中给出的例子有：
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.
我的第一个让自然呈现出一个面孔；
在下一个中，我们发现音乐、美丽和优雅；
如果这个 Charade 最容易读懂，
我想第三个应该扔在我的头上。
答案是“雪球”。无声 Charade 是这个游戏的主要现代形式，最初是一种称为 dumb charades 的变体，遵循了旧模式，表演团队按顺序扮演所有角色，然后观众团队开始猜测。
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 Charade 是仅通过“哑动作”来表演的，有点像孩子们玩的“行业和职业”游戏； 但是表演 Charade 更有趣，也更困难。[“戈尔多尼和现代意大利喜剧”，《外国和殖民地季刊评论》，第六卷，1846年]
一本1850年的书《表演 Charades》报告说， Charades en Action 在法国社会中非常流行，“最近，这个游戏已经被引入了一些爱好欢乐的英国人的客厅。它的成功非常惊人。”威尔士语 siarad 显然是从法语或英语借来的，但其“说话，交谈”的含义更接近普罗旺斯语的原意。
该词起源时间：1776年