scrabble etymology

Etymology:

• English: Scrabble
• Origin: Late 1930s; coined by Alfred Mosher Butts, based on the word "scribble"

Meaning:

A board game for two or more players in which each player attempts to form words from randomly drawn letter tiles.

Origin:

Scrabble was invented by Alfred Mosher Butts, an architect from Poughkeepsie, New York, in the late 1930s. Butts was unemployed during the Great Depression and had time to work on his idea for a word game. He created the tiles, board, and rules for the game, which he originally called "Lexiko."

In 1948, Butts sold the rights to Scrabble to James Brunot, who renamed the game and began marketing it. The game became a quick success, and by the early 1950s, it was being played by millions of people around the world.

Etymology of the Name:

Butts originally wanted to name the game "Lexiko," short for "lexicography," the study of words. However, he later decided that the name was too difficult to remember and pronounce.

He then considered the name "Criss-Crosswords," but that was already the name of another game. Finally, he settled on "Scrabble," based on the word "scribble," because he thought the game resembled scribbling words on a piece of paper.

scrabble relate terms

• scramble

  Etymology of Scramble The word scramble has multiple etymological origins Old Fre

• scrabble

  Etymology English Scrabble Origin Late 1930s coined by Alfred Mosher Butts based on

• scrape

  Etymology From Middle English scrapen altered from Old English screpan from Proto Ger

• scribble

  Etymology The word scribble comes from the Middle English word scribblen which is th

• scribe

  Etymology The word scribe comes from the Latin word scriba which in turn derives fr

• hardscrabble

  Etymology and Meaning of Hardscrabble Etymology The word hardscrabble is derived f

• scrawl

  Etymology Middle English scrawlen from Middle Dutch scrawelen scrolen from Middle

• doodle

  Etymology Doodle derives from the Middle High German word dudeln meaning to sing

• drawing

  Etymology Draw derives from the Middle English word drauen itself originating from th

• feel

  Etymology The word feel comes from the Middle English word felen to feel which in

• flee

  Etymology Old English fleon meaning to run away From Proto Germanic fleuhanan meanin

• fele

  Etymology Fele is a word with multiple etymological origins depending on its language

• write

  Etymology The study of the origin and history of words It examines how words change ove