das Dunkel

This word is the origin of my surname, Dunkle. Many English-speakers know that dunkel means dark. But it also means mysterious, impenetrable, secret, or murky. And the noun, das Dunkel, can also mean an enigma. Still, it’s most commonly used to describe actual darkness, and that’s been appropriate lately. According to Spiegel Online, this has been Germany’s darkest winter in over four decades.