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GAME

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Originally appearing in Volume V11, Page 440 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

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GAME , a word which in its See also:

PRIMARY

primary and widest significance means any amusement or See also:

SPORT (a contracted or shortened form of "disport," to amuse, divert oneself, O. Fr. se dis porter or deporter, to leave off work, hence to play, Lat. dis-, away, and portare, to carry; the origin of the meaning lies in the notion of turning away from ser

sport, often combined in the See also:

early examples with " See also:

GLEE

glee," " See also:

PLAY

play," " joy " or " solace." It is a See also:

COMMON

common See also:

Teutonic word, in O. Eng. gamen, in O.H.G. gaman, but only appears in See also:

MODERN

modern usage outside See also:

ENGLISH

English in See also:

DAN

Dan. gammon and Swed. gammon. The ulterior derivation is obscure, but philologists have identified it with the Goth. gaman, See also:

COMPANION (through the O. Fr. compaignon or compagnon, from the Late Lat. companio,—cum, with, and panis, bread,—one who shares meals with another; the word has been wrongly derived from the Late Lat. compagnus, one of the same pages or district)

companion or companionship; if this be so, it is compounded of the prefix ga-, with, and the See also:

root seen in " See also:

man." Apart from its primary and See also:

general meaning the word has two specific applications, first to a contest played as a recreation or as an See also:

EXHIBITION

exhibition of skill, in accordance with rules and regulations; and, secondly, to those See also:

WILD, JONATHAN (c. 1682-1725)

wild animals which are the See also:

OBJECTS

objects of the See also:

chase, and their flesh as used for See also:

food, distinguished as such from See also:

MEAT

meat, See also:

fish and poultry, and from the flesh of See also:

deer, to which the name " See also:

VENISON (pronounced venzon)

venison " is given. For " game," from the legal aspect, and the See also:

LAWS

laws See also:

RELATING

relating to its pursuit and See also:

CAPTURE (from Lat. capere, to take; Fr. prise maritime; Ger. Wegnahme)

capture see GAME LAWS. The athletic contests of the See also:

ancient Greeks (ayiaves) and the public shows (ludi) of the See also:

ARENA (Lat. for " sand ")

arena and See also:

AMPHITHEATRE (Gr. 441, around, and O&arpov, a place for spectators)

amphitheatre of the ancient See also:

Romans are treated below (See also:

GAMES, CLASSICAL

GAMES, CLASSICAL); the various forms of modern games, indoor and outdoor, whether of skill, strength or See also:

CHANCE (through the O. Fr. cheance, from the Late Lat. cadentia, things happening, from cadere, to fall out, happen; cf. " case ")

chance, are dealt with under their specific titles. A See also:

SPECIAL

special use ("gaming" or "gambling") restricts the See also:

TERM

term to the playing of games for See also:

MONEY

money, or to betting and wagering on the results of events, as in See also:

HORSE (a word common to Teutonic languages in such forms as hors, hros, ros; cf. the Ger. ross)

horse-racing, &c. (see GAMING AND WAGERING). " Gamble," " gambler " and " gambling " appear very See also:

LATE

late in English. The earliest quotations in the New English See also:

DICTIONARY

Dictionary for the three words are dated 1775, 1747 and 1784 respectively. They were first regarded as cant or See also:

SLANG

slang words, and implied a reproach, either as referring to cheats or sharpers, or to those who played recklessly for extravagant stakes. The See also:

FORM (Lat. forma)

form of the words is obscure, but is supposed to represent a See also:

LOCAL

local variation gammle of the M.E. gamenian. From this word must, of course, be distinguished " gambol," to sport, frisk, which, as the older forms (gambald, gambaud) show, is from the Fr. gambade, leap, jump, of a horse, It. gambado, gamba, See also:

leg (Mod.

Fr. jambe).

End of Article: GAME

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