• n. 網球（運動）
• n. （英）坦尼斯（人名）

來自古法語 tenez,接住，來自 tenir 的命令格，來自 tenir,接住，握住，詞源同 contain,tenure. 原為中世紀流行于法國騎士階層的一種手擊球游戲，后用于指網球。這種由動作過渡為名詞 的詞義演變，比較 temper,tempera.

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.

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

我們當然想為英國網球挽回一些尊嚴。

來自柯林斯例句

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

他好幾個小時都對著一堵墻擲網球。

來自柯林斯例句

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

“說實話，我的網球基本上屬于業余水平，”他承認說。

來自柯林斯例句

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

為了在休賽期間保持狀態，我常打網球或踢足球。

來自柯林斯例句

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

現在，網球明星的隨行人員中有些是心理培訓師。

來自柯林斯例句