Updated
Updated · NPR · Jun 4
Historians Debate Why Tennis Uses 'Love' for 0 Points
Updated
Updated · NPR · Jun 4

Historians Debate Why Tennis Uses 'Love' for 0 Points

3 articles · Updated · NPR · Jun 4

Summary

  • Language experts say no single origin for tennis's use of “love” for zero points can be proved, despite several long-circulating theories.
  • French, English and Dutch explanations all remain in play, with scholars linking the term variously to language shifts, metaphor and older sporting usage.
  • The uncertainty reflects a broader problem in word history: informal expressions often spread before anyone records them clearly enough to fix one definitive source.

Sources

NPR5h ago
Historians Debate Origin of Tennis Term 'Love' for Zero Points
neiljohnsonsnooker.co.uk5h ago
Why is 0 Called Love in Tennis? The History Behind the Score
Yahoo Sports5h ago
Here's Why It's Called 'Love' Instead of 'Zero' at Wimbledon - Yahoo Sports
14 Sources

Insights

Why has the traditional term 'love' survived in tennis while other major sports simply use the word 'zero'?
Is tennis's 'love' a mispronunciation of the French word for 'egg,' or does it have a simpler English origin?

Sources

14 total
NPR5h ago
Historians Debate Origin of Tennis Term 'Love' for Zero Points
neiljohnsonsnooker.co.uk5h ago
Why is 0 Called Love in Tennis? The History Behind the Score
Yahoo Sports5h ago
Here's Why It's Called 'Love' Instead of 'Zero' at Wimbledon - Yahoo Sports
Show all 14 sources