Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris Which was the original 'football'? | SPORTS WORDS
Nov 12, 2025
A lively dive into the origins of sports words, from 'sport' as disport and Latin ludus to violent village football traditions. They unpack how soccer, rugby and gridiron got their names and how rugby shaped American football language. Indigenous roots behind lacrosse, billiards to snooker, and why Brits say 'it isn't cricket' all get quick, entertaining attention.
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Rugby Gave American Football Many Terms
- Several American football terms derive directly from rugby, including line of scrimmage (from scrummage/scrum).
- Jess ties scrummage to 15th-century skirmish, showing linguistic continuity from skirmish to scrum.
Cricket Name Likely From A Stool
- The origin of 'cricket' is uncertain; leading theory links it to an English word for a three-legged stool resembling the wicket.
- Rob Watts contrasts other theories (French criquet, Old English critch) and notes stool ball predates cricket.
Lacrosse Named After A Bishop's Staff
- Lacrosse name came from French 'la crosse' after Jesuit Jean de Brébeuf likened Indigenous players' curved sticks to a bishop's crozier.
- Jess cites de Brébeuf's 1637 account and Indigenous names like Ishtaboli meaning 'little brother of war'.