Why Are Jumbles Called Jumbles?
The origin of the word “jumble” comes from the Middle English word “jumbelen,” meaning to shake or disturb. The term evolved to describe a confused or untidy mixture of things. The word later came to be applied to a type of puzzle where the letters in a word are mixed up and the solver must unscramble them to form a meaningful word. Thus, the name “jumble” remains a fitting descriptor for this type of puzzle.