Misterie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An obscure matter that is hard to explain or understand ; an old-fashioned term for a skilled trade, craft or the guild that governed it
2. A puzzling or secret thing that remains unexplained ; a historical word for an occupation requiring special skill or its association of craftspeople
3. Something baffling that defies easy explanation ; an archaic name for a particular craft or trade practised by a guild of skilled workers

Etymology: Before it meant a puzzle or a hidden truth, this word usually meant a trade. Medieval English "misterie" referred to a craft or occupation, and the London trade guilds were called "misteries" in that sense. That meaning descends from Old French "mestier" (occupation), which came from Latin "ministerium", meaning service or office. The secret and religious sense has a separate lineage. It comes from Greek "mysterion", a secret rite or hidden thing, which passed into Latin as "mysterium". The two words were close in sound and spelling, so English speakers blended them. Modern English settled on the "mystery" spelling for both senses, which hides the trade origin from most readers today.

Synonyms: mystery, enigma