tennis English · revision 5816

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=1345–46|origins=xno tenetz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈten.ɪs/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English tenetz, tenyes, tenis,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) most often explained as [[bor|xno|tenetz|t=hold! take!]],^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from Old French tenez, the imperative of [[m|fro|tenir|t=to hold, receive]] (see [[tenet]]), supposedly the server's call to the opponent.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) Barnhart notes that no such call is recorded in French, where the game was called la paume “the palm”, and that Middle English rarely formed nouns from French imperatives, which argues against this explanation; the Century Dictionary called it “purely imaginary”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The game, tenyes: 1345–46 in Barnhart, the mid-14th century in Etymonline; the OED's first quotation is about 1400.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The old game, now real or court tennis, was played in an enclosed court, first striking the ball with the palm.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021)^(SOED 2002) Since 1874 (1878 in the OED) tennis has meant lawn tennis, invented by Major Walter C. Wingfield, who first called it sphairistike (1873).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The verb, to play tennis, is from before 1475, and to toss to and fro like a ball from 1565.^(OED 1989) ''Tennis ball'' is from the early 15th century.^(Etymonline) ''Anyone for tennis?'', a stock entrance line in drawing-room comedies, is recorded from 1953.^(OED 1989)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1345–46 – tenyes, the game.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * a1475 – to play tennis.^(OED 1989)

+ * early 15th century – ''tennis ball''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1873 – sphairistike.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1874 – lawn tennis.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1953 – ''anyone for tennis?''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A game in which two or four players hit a ball over a [[net]] with rackets on a marked [[court]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Real tennis, the older indoor game.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[court tennis]]

+ * [[paddle tennis]]

+ * [[platform tennis]]

+ * [[tennis bracelet]]

+ * [[tennis shoe]]

+ * [[squash tennis]]

+ * [[lawn tennis]]

+ * [[table tennis]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tenet]]

+ * [[tenable]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The AHD notes that, surprisingly, the origin of the word is not known precisely, although much is known about the history of the game.^(AHD) In Rutland dialect, to tennis meant to make something rebound.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}