What is the origin of the word 'Love' in tennis?
13 Feb 2023The word 'love' in tennis originated from the French word 'l'oeuf' meaning 'egg', which was used in the 16th century to refer to a score of zero. The term is thought to have derived from the shape of a zero on the scoreboards of the time, which was a round shape, similar to an egg. It is also speculated that the term 'love' was used in tennis due to the associations with courtly love and the game of courtly love at the time. The term has stuck, and today 'love' is used to refer to a score of zero in tennis.
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