Definition of Mystery:
- General Use: Mystery refers to something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain; it can be an event, situation, or phenomenon that arouses curiosity or speculation because it is unexplained or secretive.
- Literary Genre: In literature and entertainment, a mystery is a genre of fiction in which the narrative revolves around a puzzling crime, situation, or circumstance that needs to be solved. The plot often involves a mysterious death or a crime to be solved, with the story typically following a detective or amateur sleuth’s efforts to unravel the mystery.
Etymology and Origin: The word ‘mystery’ comes from the Latin ‘mysterium’, which translates to ‘a secret thing’. This is derived from the Greek ‘mysterion’, originally meaning a secret rite or doctrine. The Greek word is related to ‘mystes’, meaning ‘one who has been initiated’, from ‘myein’, ‘to close, shut’, referring to the shutting of the eyes or mouth during secret religious rites. The term evolved over time to include any unexplained or secretive phenomenon.
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