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From Ancient Word Squares to Modern Wordles: A History of Word Puzzles
Trace word games from the Sator Square found at Pompeii and Victorian parlour puzzles to Arthur Wynne's first crossword and today's daily puzzles.
Key Research Takeaways
- The Sator Square, a five-by-five arrangement of Latin words, has been found in the ruins of Pompeii, a Roman town buried in 79 AD.
- Lewis Carroll invented Doublets, a word-ladder puzzle, in the 19th century.
- Arthur Wynne published a crossword-style puzzle in the New York World on December 21, 1913.
Ancient word squares
Word squares and word riddles are older than modern puzzles. The Sator Square has been found in the ruins of Pompeii, the Roman town buried by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Its exact purpose is still debated, and it is one of the best-known early examples of a word puzzle.
The Victorian golden age
In the 19th century, growing literacy and cheap printing spread word games such as charades, anagrams and acrostics. Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, invented Doublets, now called word ladders, in which you change one letter at a time to reach a new word.
The crossword and today's daily puzzles
On December 21, 1913, Arthur Wynne published a diamond-shaped word-cross puzzle in the New York World. Crosswords spread quickly through newspapers. Today's short daily word games follow a different pattern: one puzzle a day, simple feedback, and results that are easy to share.
Put This Theory Into Practice
Experience these cognitive mechanisms firsthand with Smotix's free daily brain puzzles: