In tennis, is there a reason why “love” is used to stand for zero?
There’s a common misconception that the equally puzzling “love,” or zero, derives from the French l’oeuf, “egg,” or, by extension, goose-egg or zero. Actually, it comes from the idea of playing for love, rather than money–the implication being that one who scores zero consistently can only be motivated by a true love for the game. Tennis originated in the 12th or 13th century in France, where it was called jeu de paume (“palm game”). It seems to have derived its present appellation from the French habit of called “tenez!” before serving.
