The Language of Tennis

Posted by Kelly on Wednesday, February 28, 2007@ 4:02 pm

Did you know that the game of tennis has French roots? It’s tough to pinpoint the exact origin of tennis as we know it today, but France heavily influenced the development of the game particularly its vocabulary. Modern tennis terminology derives from 12th century France where the game was enjoyed by French aristocracy. Here are a few examples of the French influence on tennis:

tennis from tenez
imperative form of verb tenir to hold, this cry means “I am about to serve!”

racquet from raquette
derives from Arabic rakhat meaning palm of the hand

deuce from à deux le jeu
to both is the game (that is, the two players are tied)

love from l’œuf
the egg, referring to the shape of the zero symbol; because un œuf is more common, the etymology remains in question

Posted in Tennis History

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One Response to 'The Language of Tennis'

tonycurtis - February 28th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Correct. Tennis originated from a 12th century French game called ‘paume’ (meaning palm); it was a court game where the ball was struck with the hand. Paume then evolved into ‘jeu de paume’, in which rackets were used. The game spread through Europe. In 1873, Major Walter Wingfield invented a game called ’sphairistike’, from which modern outdoor tennis evolved. Any history book will tell you this.