Game

Game
Recorded in the spellings of Game, Gaman, Gamman, Gammon, the patronymics Games, Gammans, Gammons and Gammonds, this is an English surname. It can be described as one of those quite rare occurences, a surname which does mean precisely what it says. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th century word "gamen" and translates as "one who is good at games". As such it was a medieval descriptive nickname. In its earliest forms the surname was also found as Goodgame, with John Goodgame being recorded in the county of Huntingdonshire in 1549. A quotation of the year 1380 which appears in the New Oxford Dictionary of 1888, states "and he that cometh first to his ende shall have the gamen, and the sett", which probably refers to a game of what is now known as "Real Tennis", being distinct from the much later Lawn Tennis. Early examples of the surname recording include Roger Game, in the register of the Somerset Assize Court in 1268, and John Garmene of Hampshire in the Hundred Rolls of 1273. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • game — [geɪm] noun 1. [countable] an activity in which people compete with each other according to agreed rules: • The market is a game which creates wealth through the process of production exchange. ˈbusiness game also ˈmanagement game [countable]… …   Financial and business terms

  • game — game1 [gām] n. [ME < OE gamen, akin to OFris game, OHG gaman < ? IE base * gwhemb , to leap merrily] 1. any form of play or way of playing; amusement; recreation; sport; frolic; play 2. a) any specific contest, engagement, amusement,… …   English World dictionary

  • Game — Game, n. [OE. game, gamen, AS. gamen, gomen, play, sport; akin to OS., OHG., & Icel. gaman, Dan. gammen mirth, merriment, OSw. gamman joy. Cf. {Gammon} a game, {Backgammon}, {Gamble} v. i.] 1. Sport of any kind; jest, frolic. [1913 Webster] We… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • game — Ⅰ. game [1] ► NOUN 1) an activity engaged in for amusement. 2) a form of competitive activity or sport played according to rules. 3) a complete episode or period of play, ending in a final result. 4) a single portion of play, forming a scoring… …   English terms dictionary

  • Game — Game, a. 1. Having a resolute, unyielding spirit, like the gamecock; ready to fight to the last; plucky. [1913 Webster] I was game . . . .I felt that I could have fought even to the death. W. Irving. [1913 Webster] 2. Of or pertaining to such… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • game — game; game·ly; game·ness; game·some; game·ster; game·to·gen·e·sis; game·to·go·ni·um; game·to·kinetic; non·game; out·game; pre·game; syn·game·on; game·some·ly; game·some·ness; game·to·gen·ic; …   English syllables

  • Game 39 — or the international round is a proposed extra round of matches in the Premier League to be played at neutral venues outside England. The top association football league in England, it is currently played as a double round robin, with each team… …   Wikipedia

  • Game On — Das C64 Spielemagazin auf Diskette wurde von der CP Computer Publications GmbH in Nürnberg veröffentlicht. Die Game On war neben der Magic Disk 64 das bekannteste monatliche deutschsprachige C64 Diskettenmagazin. Die 5 1/4 Zoll große… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • game — vi gamed, gam·ing: to play for a stake: gamble Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. game …   Law dictionary

  • Game On — may refer to: * Game On (The West Wing), an episode of the TV series The West Wing * Game On (BBC television), a 1995 British sitcom about three 20 somethings * Game On (Canadian game show), a 1998 sports trivia game show * Game On (G4… …   Wikipedia

  • -game — game, gamie ♦ Éléments, du gr. gamos « mariage » : cryptogame, bigamie. ⇒aussi gamopétale, gamosépale. game, gamie éléments, du gr. gamos, union, mariage . ⇒ GAME, GAMIE, élém. formants Éléments terminaux issus du gr. « mariage », formant,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

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