Why in Tennis Do We Have 40 and Not 45 After 30 While Scoring a Game?
In tennis, the scoring system for a game differs from most other sports. Instead of progressing linearly from 30 to 45, the score goes from 30 to 40. This unique scoring system has a historical origin dating back to medieval France.
During the 12th century, a popular ball game called "jeu de paume" was played in France. The scoring for this game used a system known as "quinze" and "trente," which means "15" and "30" in French. A player who scored two points would call "quinze," and another two would make "trente."
As the game evolved, the term "quinze" was eventually shortened to "40." However, the transition from 30 to 45 did not occur. Instead, a player who scored after 30 would call "40" and the next point would be referred to as "jeu," meaning "game."
In the 1870s, tennis was codified and the scoring system borrowed the "quinze," "trente," and "jeu" terms from jeu de paume. While "quinze" became "15" and "jeu" became "game," "trente" remained unchanged as "30." However, the transition point from 30 to "jeu" was now called "40," which is how we have the unique scoring system in tennis today.
Related Questions and Answers
- What was the predecessor of tennis called? Jeu de paume
- What is the origin of the term "40"? It is a shortened version of "quinze," which means "15" in French.
- Why isn't 45 used in tennis scoring? It is a holdover from the scoring system used in the predecessor game, jeu de paume.
- What does "jeu" mean in tennis? It means "game."
- When was the tennis scoring system codified? In the 1870s.
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