tennis

• n. 网球（运动）
• n. （英）坦尼斯（人名）

中文词源

来自古法语 tenez,接住，来自 tenir 的命令格，来自 tenir,接住，握住，词源同 contain,tenure. 原为中世纪流行于法国骑士阶层的一种手击球游戏，后用于指网球。这种由动作过渡为名词 的词义演变，比较 temper,tempera.

英文词源

tennis

tennis: [14] The earliest recorded English forms of the word tennis include tenetz, teneys, and tenes. These suggest that it probably came from tenez, the imperative plural of Old French tenir ‘hold’, hence ‘receive’, supposedly shouted by the server to his opponent as a warning to get ready to receive the ball. The word originally referred, of course, to what is now known as real tennis (in which the real does simply mean ‘real’; it has no connection, as is often claimed, with obsolete English real ‘royal’); it was first applied to the newly invented outdoor game in 1874, in the compound lawn tennis, and this was soon shortened to simply tennis.
=> tenant

tennis (n.)

mid-14c., most likely from Anglo-French tenetz "hold! receive! take!," from Old French tenez, imperative of tenir "to hold, receive, take" (see tenet), which was used as a call from the server to his opponent. The original version of the game (a favorite sport of medieval French knights) was played by striking the ball with the palm of the hand, and in Old French was called la paulme, literally "the palm," but to an onlooker the service cry would naturally seem to identify the game. Century Dictionary says all of this is "purely imaginary."

The use of the word for the modern game is from 1874, short for lawn tennis, which originally was called sphairistike (1873), from Greek sphairistike (tekhne) "(skill) in playing at ball," from the root of sphere. It was invented, and named, by Maj. Walter C. Wingfield and first played at a garden party in Wales, inspired by the popularity of badminton.

The name 'sphairistike,' however, was impossible (if only because people would pronounce it as a word of three syllables to rhyme with 'pike') and it was soon rechristened. ["Times" of London, June 10, 1927]

Tennis-ball attested from mid-15c.; tennis-court from 1560s; tennis-elbow from 1883; tennis-shoes from 1887.

双语例句

1. We definitely wanted to salvage some pride for British tennis.

我们当然想为英国网球挽回一些尊严。

来自柯林斯例句

2. He spent hours throwing a tennis ball against a wall.

他好几个小时都对着一堵墙掷网球。

来自柯林斯例句

3. "Actually, most of my tennis is at club level," he admitted.

“说实话，我的网球基本上属于业余水平，”他承认说。

来自柯林斯例句

4. To stay fit off season, I play tennis or football.

为了在休赛期间保持状态，我常打网球或踢足球。

来自柯林斯例句

5. Mind trainers are now part of a tennis star's retinue.

现在，网球明星的随行人员中有些是心理培训师。

来自柯林斯例句