What does 'mahjongg' mean? I enjoy playing the game, but I don't know what it means...Anyone know?
by 
JamesD
ANSWERS: 3
-
This is what I found. Etymology: from Mah-Jongg, a trademark Date: 1920 This is from the Encyclopedia Britannica.
-
[Chinese (Mandarin) má jiàng : má, spotted + jiàng, main piece in Chinese chess.] Source:http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mahjong
-
Many theories about the origin of mahjong have surfaced during the years. One of the myths suggested that Confucius developed the game about 500 BC. It argued in support of the myth that the appearance of the game in various Chinese provinces coincided with Confucius’ travels at the time he was teaching his new doctrines. Confucius was said to be fond of birds, hence, the name, “mahjong” (meaning “bird”). http://www.mca.org.my/story.asp?file=/articles/exclusive/2006/2/51199.html&sec=Exclusive Another theory suggests that the game was not called mah jongg by the Chinese but was renamed by Joseph Park Babcock. When he wanted to introduce the game to the USA in 1920, he decided that it would be beneficial to give the game a name that he could trademark. He decided "mahjong" would sound better than mah que,the actual Chinese name for the game, and he decided to write it as "Mah-Jongg," "Mah que" can be translated as "sparrow," "flax sparrow," or possibly as "hemp bird." http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/mjfaq11.html
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC