A Six Syllable Word

When I was younger, I remember my Aunt Trudy using the word "discombobulated".  I knew the meaning had something to do with a state of confusion.  I did not recognize this as a real word, however, as I have never heard anyone ever having used that word before except for Aunt Trudy.  Then just a short while ago when I was watching a rerun of the Match Game.  Tom Bosley had said that he felt discombobulated and it sparked a memory.

I think the word itself is funny to hear as it sounds as if it was just made up by one in a "discombobulated" state.   Research tells me that the word has been around since the late 19th century.   Aunt Gertrude was born just 21 years after the start of the 20th century.  She obviously knew people who had been born in the 19th century who were still using that word.  I have been curious to know about where it had come from or why it was said. 

From one site (here) I learned that it is suggested that the word started out as a playful and nonsense word that somehow caught on during its time.  Does anyone else know of anyone who even says it anymore?  This site provided nine comments.  I have chosen two definitions to share:

It's a slang (originally American) word of unknown origin that goes back well over a century. Probably just a fanciful alliteration of discommode, discomfit, discompose, etc.

It certainly doesn't derive from some pre-existing word combobulate. I think normally you'd be understood if you tried to use that 'back-formation', but I don't think it will catch on.

comment made on 8/20/11

and

I can not speak to previous answers. My opinion is based on personal experience. I first heard combobulate/discombobulate(both terms) in the late 1940s from my 60-year-old grandfather, when I was four. On being asked, he could not recall its source.

Several days later, he came to me with a crumbling old letter he had received as a very young boy (mid 1890s), passed down from his grandmother. It was dated in 1823 and written by his great grandfather, and it contained the word combobulate, meaning (from the sense in which it was used) “to make order”.

At the time of writing it, the elder gentleman was in his mid-60s, so I am left to presume that the term goes back a good deal further.

7/28/15

If the word truly does interest you, you can also check out this site.