The etymology of "quandary" is uncertain, among the main assumptions there are:

1) the quasi-Latinism assumption:

Quandary :

• "state of perplexity," 1570s, of unknown origin, perhaps a quasi-Latinism based on Latin quando "when? at what time?; at the time that, inasmuch," pronominal adverb of time, related to qui "who" (see who). Originally accented on the second syllable.

(Etymonline)

2) the "qu vs w" spelling assumption:

Quandary:

• an evil plight. . This curious word is almost certainly a corruption of the M.E. wandreth, wandrethe, used in just the same sense of evil plight, peril, adversity.

• The use of qu for w is not confined to this word; we find such spellings as squete for swete (sweet), squilke for swilke (such); Cursor Mundi, 76, 372; and the confusion of quh, wh, qu, and w, at the beginning of words is well known.
• Thus Halliwell gives quarof for whereof; and quhar for whar (where) is the usual Scottish form, whilst the same word is also written war or wer. β. Examples are: 'welthe or wandreth' = prosperity or adversity.

(Etymology Dictionary)

3) the dialectal evolution assumption:

Quandary:

• ....this word, of unknown origin, which is attested from about 1580 on, revealed itself etymologically identical with conundrum! There are English dialect forms such as quandorum, quondorum whch serve to establish an unitererrupted chain: calembredaine becomes conimdrum, conumdrum, quonundrum, quandorum and give us quandary.

(Linguistics and Literary History.)

Question:

• Is there more evidence to support one of these three assumptions?
  specifically the second one which appears and sounds more credible to me.

The etymology of "quandary" is uncertain; among the main assumptions there are:

1) the quasi-Latinism assumption:

Quandary :

• "state of perplexity," 1570s, of unknown origin, perhaps a quasi-Latinism based on Latin quando "when? at what time?; at the time that, inasmuch," pronominal adverb of time, related to qui "who" (see who). Originally accented on the second syllable.

(Etymonline)

2) the "qu vs w" spelling assumption:

Quandary:

• an evil plight. . This curious word is almost certainly a corruption of the M.E. wandreth, wandrethe, used in just the same sense of evil plight, peril, adversity.

• The use of qu for w is not confined to this word; we find such spellings as squete for swete (sweet), squilke for swilke (such); Cursor Mundi, 76, 372; and the confusion of quh, wh, qu, and w, at the beginning of words is well known.
• Thus Halliwell gives quarof for whereof; and quhar for whar (where) is the usual Scottish form, whilst the same word is also written war or wer. β. Examples are: 'welthe or wandreth' = prosperity or adversity.

(Etymology Dictionary)

3) the dialectal evolution assumption:

Quandary:

• ....this word, of unknown origin, which is attested from about 1580 on, revealed itself etymologically identical with conundrum! There are English dialect forms such as quandorum, quondorum whch serve to establish an unitererrupted chain: calembredaine becomes conimdrum, conumdrum, quonundrum, quandorum and give us quandary.

(Linguistics and Literary History)

Question:

• Is there more evidence to support one of these three assumptions?
  specifically the second one which appears and sounds more credible to me.

The etymology of "quandary" is uncertain, aong the main assumprtion there are:

1) the quasi-Latinism assumption:

Quandary :

• "state of perplexity," 1570s, of unknown origin, perhaps a quasi-Latinism based on Latin quando "when? at what time?; at the time that, inasmuch," pronominal adverb of time, related to qui "who" (see who). Originally accented on the second syllable.

(Etymonline)

2) the "qu vs w" spelling assumption:

Quandary:

• an evil plight. . This curious word is almost certainly a corruption of the M.E. wandreth, wandrethe, used in just the same sense of evil plight, peril, adversity.

• The use of qu for w is not confined to this word; we find such spellings as squete for swete (sweet), squilke for swilke (such); Cursor Mundi, 76, 372; and the confusion of quh, wh, qu, and w, at the beginning of words is well known.
• Thus Halliwell gives quarof for whereof; and quhar for whar (where) is the usual Scottish form, whilst the same word is also written war or wer. β. Examples are: 'welthe or wandreth' = prosperity or adversity.

(Etymology Dictionary)

3) the dialectal evolution assumption:

Quandary:

• ....this word, of unknown origin, which is attested from about 1580 on, revealed itself etymologically identical with conundrum! There are English dialect forms such as quandorum, quondorum whch serve to establish an unitererrupted chain: calembredaine becomes conimdrum, conumdrum, quonundrum, quandorum and give us quandary.

(Linguistics and Literary History.)

Question:

• Is there more evidence to support one of these three assumptions?
  specifically the second one which appears and sounds more credible to me.

The etymology of "quandary" is uncertain, among the main assumptions there are:

1) the quasi-Latinism assumption:

Quandary :

• "state of perplexity," 1570s, of unknown origin, perhaps a quasi-Latinism based on Latin quando "when? at what time?; at the time that, inasmuch," pronominal adverb of time, related to qui "who" (see who). Originally accented on the second syllable.

(Etymonline)

2) the "qu vs w" spelling assumption:

Quandary:

• an evil plight. . This curious word is almost certainly a corruption of the M.E. wandreth, wandrethe, used in just the same sense of evil plight, peril, adversity.

• The use of qu for w is not confined to this word; we find such spellings as squete for swete (sweet), squilke for swilke (such); Cursor Mundi, 76, 372; and the confusion of quh, wh, qu, and w, at the beginning of words is well known.
• Thus Halliwell gives quarof for whereof; and quhar for whar (where) is the usual Scottish form, whilst the same word is also written war or wer. β. Examples are: 'welthe or wandreth' = prosperity or adversity.

(Etymology Dictionary)

3) the dialectal evolution assumption:

Quandary:

• ....this word, of unknown origin, which is attested from about 1580 on, revealed itself etymologically identical with conundrum! There are English dialect forms such as quandorum, quondorum whch serve to establish an unitererrupted chain: calembredaine becomes conimdrum, conumdrum, quonundrum, quandorum and give us quandary.

(Linguistics and Literary History.)

Question:

• Is there more evidence to support one of these three assumptions?
  specifically the second one which appears and sounds more credible to me.

The etymology of "quandery" is uncertain, aong the main assumprtion there are:

1) the quasi-Latinism assumption:

Quandary :

• "state of perplexity," 1570s, of unknown origin, perhaps a quasi-Latinism based on Latin quando "when? at what time?; at the time that, inasmuch," pronominal adverb of time, related to qui "who" (see who). Originally accented on the second syllable.

(Etymonline)

2) the "qu vs w" spelling assumption:

Quandery:

• an evil plight. . This curious word is almost certainly a corruption of the M.E. wandreth, wandrethe, used in just the same sense of evil plight, peril, adversity.

• The use of qu for w is not confined to this word; we find such spellings as squete for swete (sweet), squilke for swilke (such); Cursor Mundi, 76, 372; and the confusion of quh, wh, qu, and w, at the beginning of words is well known.
• Thus Halliwell gives quarof for whereof; and quhar for whar (where) is the usual Scottish form, whilst the same word is also written war or wer. β. Examples are: 'welthe or wandreth' = prosperity or adversity.

(Etymology Dictionary)

3) the dialectal evolution assumption:

Quandery:

• ....this word, of unknown origin, which is attested from about 1580 on, revealed itself etymologically identical with conundrum! There are English dialect forms such as quandorum, quondorum whch serve to establish an unitererrupted chain: calembredaine becomes conimdrum, conumdrum, quonundrum, quandorum and give us quandary.

(Linguistics and Literary History.)

Question:

• Is there more evidence to support one of these three assumptions?
  specifically the second one which appears and sounds more credible to me.

The etymology of "quandary" is uncertain, aong the main assumprtion there are:

1) the quasi-Latinism assumption:

Quandary :

• "state of perplexity," 1570s, of unknown origin, perhaps a quasi-Latinism based on Latin quando "when? at what time?; at the time that, inasmuch," pronominal adverb of time, related to qui "who" (see who). Originally accented on the second syllable.

(Etymonline)

2) the "qu vs w" spelling assumption:

Quandary:

• an evil plight. . This curious word is almost certainly a corruption of the M.E. wandreth, wandrethe, used in just the same sense of evil plight, peril, adversity.

• The use of qu for w is not confined to this word; we find such spellings as squete for swete (sweet), squilke for swilke (such); Cursor Mundi, 76, 372; and the confusion of quh, wh, qu, and w, at the beginning of words is well known.
• Thus Halliwell gives quarof for whereof; and quhar for whar (where) is the usual Scottish form, whilst the same word is also written war or wer. β. Examples are: 'welthe or wandreth' = prosperity or adversity.

(Etymology Dictionary)

3) the dialectal evolution assumption:

Quandary:

• ....this word, of unknown origin, which is attested from about 1580 on, revealed itself etymologically identical with conundrum! There are English dialect forms such as quandorum, quondorum whch serve to establish an unitererrupted chain: calembredaine becomes conimdrum, conumdrum, quonundrum, quandorum and give us quandary.

(Linguistics and Literary History.)

Question:

• Is there more evidence to support one of these three assumptions?
  specifically the second one which appears and sounds more credible to me.