Glossary of Games Terminology

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Here I collect some terms instead of reëxplaining them in many articles, as well as providing a place for discussion or expansion.

eyes

A group of cards in Kànhǔ is called an ‘eye’ (眼 Cantonese: ngaan⁵).A (p. 156) In other games combinations are called called ‘ox’ (牛 Cantonese: ngau⁴).B (p. 88) I wonder if both terms are derived by modifying ‘pair’ (偶 Cantonese: ngau⁵)?C (p. 323)

In Mahjong the ‘eye’ is the pair that is required to make a complete hand.

The ‘eye’ terminology is also used in Malay (mata).

mournival

Also murnivall, mourneval, mournaval, mourniuall, mornyfle; from French mornifle ‘slap’. An old English term for a set of four cards of the same rank.

prial

Also perryall, priol, prioll; from “pair royal”. An old English term for a set of three cards of the same rank.

pong

This is a term used in Mahjong to refer to a set (of three). It comes from the Chinese 碰 (Mandarin: pèng, Cantonese: pung³, Hokkien: pōng or phòng); see the game Pèng Hé, in which the term may have originated.

This word is now used in English mahjong games. It also seems to appear in Javanese as pang (see Pèi). Perhaps it could also be the origin of the Thai ไพ่ผ่อง pai phong (see Pai Tong)?

tong

Payment made to the owner of a gambling establishment, as a fixed fee per game or as a percentage of winnings.

  • This is possibly from the Chinese 筒 (Hokkien: tông), a round thing, a barrel or can (in which to place the payments). As a verb it means to place or put in.

  • In Javan usage the tong was the glass in which the contributions to the gaming house (called ꦕꦸꦕꦸꦏ꧀ cucuk or ꦕꦸꦏ꧀ cuk) are placed.D (p. 4)

  • In Thai it is ต๋ง (tong).

  • In Khmer it is តុង (tong).

  • Also used in Australia amongst Aboriginal groups who play games such as Kuns.E (p. 42)F (p. 668)G (p. 137–8)

References

  1. Culin, Stewart (). ‘The Game of Ma-Jong: Its Origin and Significance’. The Brooklyn Museum Quarterly vol. 11 (4), : pages 153–168.

  2. Dobree, C. T. (). Gambling Games of Malaya. The Caxton Press: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

  3. Williams, Samuel Wells (). Tonic Dictionary of the Chinese Language in the Canton Dialect [英華分韻撮要]. Canton.

  4. Siem, Tjan Tjoe [曾祖沁] (). Javaanse Kaartspelen: bijdrage tot de beschrijving van land en volk [Javanese Card Games; text in Dutch]; Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen volume 75. A. C. Nix & Co.: Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

  5. Robinson, Michael W. and Peter Yu (). ‘A Note on Kuns: An Aboriginal Card Game from the North-West of Western Australia’. Department of Aboriginal Affairs’ Newsletter vol. 11: pages 41–49.

  6. Hunter, Ernest M. and Randolph M. Spargo (). ‘What’s the big deal?: Aboriginal gambling in the Kimberley region’. The Medical Journal of Australia vol. 149 (12), : pages 668–672.

  7. Fogarty, Marisa Annetta (). From card games to poker machines: Gambling in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory [archived]. PhD thesis, The Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University: Haymarket, NSW, Australia.