The word sport is derived from

Of OE spyrd Bowsorth-Toller says,

The word glosses stadium (1) with the meaning a course :— Ða ðe in spyrde iornaþ qui in stadio currunt, Rtl. 5, 33. (2) with the meaning a measure of distance :— Swelce spyrdas fífténe (spyrdum fífténum, Lind.) quasi stadiis quindecim, Jn. Skt. Rush. 11, 18. Swelce spyrdo fífe and twoegentig quasi stadia .xxv., 6, 19. Ðara spyrda stadiorum, Lk. Skt. Lind. Rush. 24, 13. In all these passages the West-Saxon uses furlang. [Goth. spaurds (1) a course; (2) a distance: O. H. Ger. spurt stadium.]

It is not clear whether the ‘racecourse’ sense derives from the ‘distance’ sense or vice versa; the same is true of the Latin word it glosses, stadium, although the Online Etymology Dictionary suggests the Greek original of the Latin term suggests that the ‘distance’ sense was prior.

This is a very shaky foundation upon which to build an origin for ModE sport—especially since I find no evidence that the OE term survived into ME.

As OP points out, Middle English Dictionary gives sport(e with the senses:

1. (a) Amusement, entertainment; pleasure, fun; also, an activity that brings pleasure or amusement; a pastime or game; also, ?a sexual exploit, an amorous deed [quot. ?c1450, 2nd]; don sportes, to play games; haven (taken) ~, take (one’s) pleasure, have fun; ?participate in merrymaking; maken ~, create amusement, make sport; (b) a source of pleasure or delight; (c) joking; foolery; in ~, in jest; connen no ~, to engage in no foolery.

2. Solace, consolation; also, ?a means of comfort or consolation; maken ~, to console (sb.), cheer up.

There are also related words, sportaunce, sportelet, sporten, sportful, sporting.

MED sees all of these as «Shortened form[s] of disport«, «disporten, &c., which first appear in ME a generation earlier than sport(e and its relatives. For the noun MED gives the following senses:

1. (a) An activity that offers amusement, pleasure, or relaxation; entertainment, merry-making, fun, recreation; maken ~, to entertain (sb.); taken ~, amuse oneself, have fun; (b) a pastime, sport, or game; also, the game of love, flirtation; (c) in ~, in jest.

2. (a) Pleasure taken in an activity or enjoyment derived from it; haven ~, to take pleasure (in sth.), be gratified; (b) consolation, solace; a source of comfort; don ~, to cheer (sb.) up.

3. (a) Deportment, conduct; customary behavior, custom, manner; (b) an instance of behavior, an act or activity; don ~, to do something.

4. Departure; maken ~, to set out (for a place).

The first two of these senses are clearly identical with those of sport(e. They carry over into EME, whence they give rise to the modern senses.

Among the «disportes» mentioned by the MED citations are dice, reveling, minstrels singing songs and telling jests, and finding Venus on a bed of gold, as well as recreations which would be regarded as «sports» today, hawking, hunting, angling, archery.

None of the citations alludes to racing or reflects (except for one allusion to the «actes and disportes Olimpicalle») a sense of «competitive» sport.

And there is no other MED headword of the form sp?rt*, sp?rd*, spr?t*, or spr?d* which could be taken as derivative of spyrd.

It looks like the similarity of the OE term is coincidental, since it cannot be traced into ME.

The word “sport” itself has been around in the English language since the mid-15th century, when it was derived from the Old French desporter, meaning “to amuse, please, or play.” As a noun denoting a physical game or activity, the word grew in popularity in the late-15th century, also acquiring, in the 18th century.

What is the original meaning of sport?

The word “sport” comes from the Old French desport meaning “leisure”, with the oldest definition in English from around 1300 being “anything humans find amusing or entertaining”. Roget’s defines the noun sport as an “activity engaged in for relaxation and amusement” with synonyms including diversion and recreation.

What does sports mean in Latin?

1400, “to take pleasure, to amuse oneself,” from Old French desporter, deporter “to divert, amuse, please, play; to seek amusement,” literally “carry away” (the mind from serious matters), from des- “away” (see dis-) + porter “to carry,” from Latin portare “to carry” (from PIE root *per- (2) “to lead, pass over”).

What does the Greek word athlete mean?

In fact, the word athlete is an ancient Greek word that means “one who competes for a prize” and was related to two other Greek words, athlos meaning “contest” and athlon meaning “prize.”

What is the Greek word for Olympics?

olimpiakos

What is another name for athlete?

player

• amateur.
• athlete.
• champ.
• competitor.
• contestant.
• jock.
• member.
• opponent.

What does sportsperson mean?

noun. a person who takes part in sports, esp of the outdoor type.

What is another name for team?

Synonyms of team

• army,
• band,
• brigade,
• company,
• crew,
• gang,
• outfit,
• party,

How would you describe an athlete?

Here are some adjectives for athlete: red-haired natural, promising all-round, damned sexual, erstwhile professional, bold and sinewy, strong and gifted, vivacious, enthusiastic, clear-eyed, supple, general or famous, young journalistic, young, cheery, painstaking or excellent, naturally painstaking or excellent.

What 3 words would you use to describe yourself as an athlete?

If you answer YES! to a lot of these characteristics…then yes, you ARE an ATHLETE!

• Motivated.
• Passionate.
• Disciplined.
• Committed.
• Optimistic.
• Persistent.
• Supportive.
• Competitive.

What are the good qualities of an athlete?

Here we’ll reveal 7 of the top traits that help phenomenal sports stars thrive.

• Supreme Concentration. Truly great athletes have an almost innate ability to get into the zone when they need to.
• Commitment to Excellence.
• Desire and Motivation.
• Goal Setting.
• Positive Mind-state and Optimism.
• Confidence and Self-Belief.

What makes you a good athlete?

Motivation: High-performing athletes are motivated by the desire to be better than their opponent and even better than their personal best. They will be patient and persevere when working on their skills and focusing on their goals. 3. Self-Discipline: Elite athletes know that success doesn’t happen overnight.

Who is the most popular athlete?

The 20 most famous athletes in the world

• No. 1 Cristiano Ronaldo. Sport: Soccer.
• No. 2 LeBron James. Sport: Basketball.
• No. 3 Lionel Messi. Sport: Soccer.
• No. 4 Neymar Jr. Sport: Soccer.
• No. 5 Roger Federer. Sport: Tennis.
• No. 6 Kevin Durant. Sport: Basketball.
• No. 7 Tiger Woods. Sport: Golf.
• No. 8 James Rodriguez. Sport: Soccer.

What skills do athletes need?

Successful Athletes:

• Choose and maintain a positive attitude.
• Maintain a high level of self-motivation.
• Set high, realistic goals.
• Deal effectively with people.
• Use positive self-talk.
• Use positive mental imagery.
• Manage anxiety effectively.
• Manage their emotions effectively.

Who is the greatest athlete of all time?

The Greatest Athlete of All Time title goes to Bo Jackson. This was based on the comparison of a range of sport science metrics. Even without the science, public vote had him well ahead – after 27,397 votes Jackson was well ahead with 79.5% of the votes.

What sport is the hardest?

Degree of Difficulty: Sport Rankings
SPORT	END	RANK
Boxing	8.63	1
Ice Hockey	7.25	2
Football	5.38	3

Who are the 3 greatest athletes of all time?

The Top 7 All-Time Best Athletes

• Muhammad Ali.
• Pele.
• Michael Phelps.
• Martina Navratilova.
• Jesse Owens.
• Nadia Comaneci.
• Michael Jordan.

Who is the best female athlete in the world?

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Who is the greatest Olympian of all time?

Michael Phelps

Are Japan Olympics Cancelled?

Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, an official partner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, called for the Summer Games to be cancelled in an editorial on Wednesday, citing risks to public safety and strains on the medical system from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Which country has the most gold medals?

United States

Who is the richest Olympian?

Caitlyn Jenner

Why do Olympians get condoms?

They’ll be asked to bring the condoms to their home countries as a way of raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, Reuters reported. When the International Olympic Committee rolled out its rules in February, they included a ban on physical contact between athletes.

Why Olympians bite their medals after winning?

According to the Olympic Channel, the origin of biting into a medal comes from merchant’s regularly biting into coins to make sure they weren’t forgeries. “Historically, gold was alloyed with other, harder metals to make it harder. So if biting the coin left teeth marks, the merchant would know it was a fake.”

Do Olympians keep their medals?

While these Olympians keep their medals in various spots, not all Olympians actually keep their medals, though. Some sell them. After putting the medal up on eBay, he donated the $17,101 made to the cause. While Klitschko and Ervin chose to sell their medals, some Olympians may have no other choice but to.

1. Who is Pierre de Coubertin?

2. When and where was he born?

3. Who were his father and
mother?

4. Pierre de Coubertin was an
all-rounder, wasn’t he? Prove it.

5. What encouraged him to
study the basis of physical education?

6. What university did Pierre
de Coubertin graduate from?

7. Who was his close friend
and instructor? Why did Pierre de Coubertin respect him?

8. What countries did Pierre
de Coubertin visit? What was the purpose of his travels in your
opinion?

9. When did the first Pierre
de Coubertin’s attempts to revive the Olympic Games begin? What was
the result of those attempts?

10. When did Pierre de
Coubertin die?

11. Where was his heart
buried? Why, do you think, his heart was buried separately from his
body?

12. What kind of contribution
did Pierre de Coubertin make? Prove your idea.

5. Try your hand in the following translation:

Пьер де Кубертен
родился в Париже первого января 1863 года.
У Пьера были высокообразованные родители.
С детства Пьер де Кубертен был весьма
разносторонним человеком: он изучал
изобразительное искусство, науку и
право, занимался спортом, в частности,
верховой ездой, греблей и фехтованием.
Пьер де Кубертен окончил лицей в Париже,
а затем университет и стал бакалавром
искусства, науки и права. После прочтения
книги «Школьные годы Томаса Брауна»
Пьер де Кубертен начал изучать теорию
физического воспитания. Его близкий
друг и наставник помогал ему в этом.
После окончания Франко-Прусской войны
Пьер опубликовал множество книг и статей
о важности физического воспитания в
интеллектуальном развитии людей. Пьер
много путешествовал и обращал внимание
на то, как физическая культура и спорт
развиваются в разных странах. Благодаря
его стараниям, возобновились Олимпийские
Игры. Это и было основной целью всей его
жизни. Пьер де Кубертен умер второго
сентября 1937 года в Женеве и был похоронен
в Лозанне. Его сердце было захоронено
в памятнике около руин древней Олимпии.
Люди всего мира запомнят, какой великий
вклад он внес в развитие физического
воспитания во всем мире.

6. Write an essay on the biography of Pierre de Coubertin. Be ready to speak about the biography of Pierre de Coubertin. Topic: Sport and society

Match English and Russian
words and word combinations:

1) society, 2)
humanity(mankind), 3) to develop, 4) development, 5) growth, 6) to
derive, 7) to disport, to appear, 9) to mean, 10) pastime, 11)
recreation, 12) pleasure, 13) to be fond of, 14) to unite, 15) to
keep fit, 16) daily activity, 17) to suffer from tiredness, 18) to do
jogging, 19) to go in for, 20) facilities, 21) to pay much attention
to, 22) educational establishments, 23) a compulsory subject, 24)
high rewards, 25) to encourage, 26) to take drugs, 27) to improve
performance, 28) violence, 29) to demonstrate true value of sport,
30) to include, 31) fair play, 32) sportsmanship, 33) respect, 34) to
be practiced for various reasons, 35) amusement, 36) social
relationships, 37) fame, 38) to make all people kin

1) объединять, 2)
развивать, 3) отдых, 4) развлекаться, 5)
слава, 6) развитие, 7) общество, улучшить
выступление, 9) человечество, 10) подстрекать,
потворствовать, 11) спортивное мастерство,
12) высокие награды, 13) рост, 14) значить,
означать, 15) бегать трусцой, 16) принимать
запрещенные препараты, 17) роднить всех
людей, 18) обязательный предмет, 19)
увлекаться, 20) удовольствие, 21) заниматься,
22) оснащение, 23) появляться, 24)
времяпрепровождение, 25) страдать от
усталости, 26) показать истинную ценность
спорта, 27) уделять большое внимание, 28)
заниматься чем-либо по разным причинам,
29) образовательные учреждения, 30) насилие,
31) быть в хорошей форме, 32) происходить
от, 33) повседневная деятельность, 34)
включать, 35) честная игра, 36) уважение,
37) общественные связи, 38) развлечение

Fill in the gaps:

1) daily activities, 2)
pleasure, 3) humanity, 4) development, 5) suffer from tiredness, 6)
demonstrate the true value of sport, 7) respect, educational
establishments, 9) compulsory subject, 10) sportsmanship, 11)
disport, 12) to keep fit, 13) recreation, 14) growth, 15) pastime,
16) unites, 17) facilities, 18) fair play, 19) amusement, 20) social
relationships, 21) fame, 22) makes all people kin, 23) to take drugs,
24) recreation, 25) to improve their performance, 26) violence

1) Sport is probably as old as
the……….itself. 2) It has been developing with
the………….and………..of the mankind. 3) The word sport was
derived from the word «…………» and first appeared in
the literature in 1303 and meant sport, ……., …….. and ………..4)
Sport……..people of different classes and nationalities. 5) It
helps people to become strong, ……………and to develop
physically, makes them more organized and better disciplined in
their………..6) Regular exercises give you energy. That is why
people who……………should do more exercises. 7) All
necessary…………are provided for people: stadiums, sports
grounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, skiing stations, football
fields. Sport is paid much attention to in our………….9)
Physical culture is……………at schools, colleges and
universities. 10) The high rewards encourage sportsmen…………………………11)
Another problem is aggression and……….within the sport area. 12)
Athletes and coaches must…….……., which includes………,
…….., ………for others. 13) Despite these problems, people
like sport and go in for sport, sport is practiced for various
reasons:…………., education, ……….., health, ……….,
physical development, ……….. 14) Sport is a very important part
of our daily life and a thing that……………

Match English and Russian
phrases.

1. спорт вероятно
   существует столько же сколько и
   человечество, 2) спорт обычно ассоциируется
   с игрой, физическим упражнением и
   соревнованием, 3) спорт объединяет людей
   различных классов и национальностей,
   4) спорт помогает людям становиться
   сильными, быть в хорошей форме, развиваться
   физически, делает их более организованными
   и дисциплинированными в их повседневной
   деятельности, 5) спортом занимаются по
   разным причинам: развлечение, образование,
   отдых, здоровье, общественные связи,
   физическое развитие, слава, 6) спорт
   очень важная часть нашей повседневной
   жизни, вещь, которая роднит всех людей.

a) sport unites people of
different classes and nationalities, b) sport is practiced for
various reasons: amusement, education, recreation, health, social
relationships, physical development, fame, c) sport is usually
associated with play, physical exercise and competition, d) sport is
probably as old as the humanity itself, e) sport is a very important
part of our daily life and a thing that makes all people kin, f)
sport helps people to become strong, to keep fit, to develop
physically, makes them more organized and better disciplined in their
daily activities.

Read and translate the
text.

Sport is probably as old as
the humanity itself. It has been developing with the development and
growth of the mankind. Sport is usually associated with play,
physical exercise and competition. The word sport was derived from
the word «disport» and first appeared in the literature in
1303 and meant sport, pastime, recreation and pleasure.

All over the world people of
different ages are fond of sports and games. Sport unites people of
different classes and nationalities. It helps people to become
strong, to keep fit and to develop physically, makes them more
organized and better disciplined in their daily activities. Regular
exercises give you energy. That is why people who suffer from
tiredness should do more exercises. Some people do morning exercises
or jogging, some go in for aerobics, skiing, skating, shaping,
swimming, tennis, football, hockey, etc.

All necessary facilities are
provided for people: stadiums, sports grounds, swimming pools,
skating rinks, skiing stations, football fields.

Sport is paid much attention
to in our educational establishments. Physical culture is a
compulsory subject at schools, colleges and universities.

Sport is also very popular
among children. Many children are fond of ball games: basketball,
volleyball, football. Besides they like to take part in competitions
to see who is the quickest, the strongest, who can jump best, and who
is the best swimmer or player.

But unfortunately there are
some problems in the sport area nowadays. Sport today means business,
huge sums of money for both players and sponsors. The high rewards
encourage sportsmen to take drugs to improve their performance.
Another problem is aggression and violence within the sport area.
Athletes and coaches must demonstrate the true value of sport which
includes fair play, sportsmanship, respect for others. Despite these
problems, people like sport and go in for sport, sport is practiced
for various reasons: amusement, education, recreation, health, social
relationships, physical development, fame. Numerous international
competitions and tournaments are constantly held.

Thus we can make a conclusion,
that sport is a very important part of our daily life and a thing
that makes all people kin.

Give the full answers to
the following questions, do it in the written form

1. How old is sport?

2. What sport is associated
   with?

3. When did the word sport first
   appear and what did it mean?

4. Why do people go in for
   sport?

5. What facilities are provided
   for people who go in for sport?

6. What attention is paid to
   sport in our educational establishments?

7. Why do children like to go in
   for sport?

8. What problems are there in
   the sport area nowadays?

9. Why do people go in for
   sport? What are the reasons?

10. Why do you go in for sport?

Read the
statements, say if they are true or false, correct the false ones.
If the statement is correct, you should say “It’s true” or “I
agree”. If the statement is not correct you should say “It’s
false” or “I disagree” and correct it.

1. People who suffer from
   tiredness should not do a lot of exercises.

2. Sport is not paid much
   attention in our educational establishments.

3. Sport is not very popular
   among children.

4. There are some problems in
   the sport area nowadays.

5. Sport is a very important
   part of our daily life and a thing that makes all people kin.

Make up your own three
statements, use the information from the text. One of your statements
should be false. Read them to the students. Their task is to say
which of your statements is false and correct it.

Translate the sentences
from Russian into English, use the information from the text and your
dictionary.

1. Люди во всем мире
   различного возраста увлекаются разными
   видами спорта и играми.

2. Постоянные
   упражнения дают вам энергию. Вот почему
   людям, которые страдают от усталости,
   следует делать больше физических
   упражнений.

3. Физическая культура
   является обязательным предметом в
   школах, колледжах и университетах.

4. Многие дети
   увлекаются играми с мячом: баскетболом,
   волейболом, футболом.

5. Спорт сегодня —
   это бизнес, огромные суммы денег, как
   для игроков, так и для спонсоров.

6. Высокие награды
   заставляют спортсменов принимать
   запрещенные препараты, для того чтобы
   улучшить свое выступление.

7. Спортсмены и
   тренеры должны показывать истинную
   ценность спорта, которая включает:
   честную игру, спортивное мастерство и
   уважение к другим.

Read the
statements and find the additional information proving them in the
text.

1. All over the world people of
   different ages go in for sport.

2. Children like to go in for
   sport very much.

3. There are some problems in
   the sport area today.

Write a composition on the
topic Sport and society.

Be ready to speak on the
topic Sport and society.

Supplementary texts and
dialogues.

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English sporten (verb) and sport, spoort, sporte (noun), apheretic shortenings of disporten (verb) and disport, disporte (noun). More at disport.

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /spɔːt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /spɔɹt/
• (Tasmanian) IPA^(key): /spɔː/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /spo(ː)ɹt/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /spoət/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)t

Noun[edit]

sport (countable and uncountable, plural sports)

1. (countable) Any activity that uses physical exertion or skills competitively under a set of rules that is not based on aesthetics.
2. (countable) A person who exhibits either good or bad sportsmanship.

   Jen may have won, but she was sure a poor sport; she laughed at the loser.

   The loser was a good sport, and congratulated Jen on her performance.

3. (countable) Somebody who behaves or reacts in an admirably good-natured manner, e.g. to being teased or to losing a game; a good sport.

   You’re such a sport! You never get upset when we tease you.

4. (obsolete) That which diverts, and makes mirth; pastime; amusement.

   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     Think it but a minute spent in sport.

   • c. 1580 (date written)​, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “[The Second Booke] Chapter 21”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912, →OCLC, page 283:

     Her sports were such as carried riches of knowledge upon the stream of delight.

   • a. 1765, year of origin unknown, Hey Diddle Diddle (traditional rhyme)

     The little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:hobby

5. (obsolete) Mockery, making fun; derision.

   • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], page 58, column 2:

     Why then make ſport at me, then let me be your ieſt

6. (countable) A toy; a plaything; an object of mockery.

   • 1697, Virgil, “The Sixth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     flitting leaves, the sport of every wind

   • a. 1676, John Clarke, On Governing the Temper

     Never does man appear to greater disadvantage than when he is the sport of his own ungoverned passions.

7. (uncountable) Gaming for money as in racing, hunting, fishing.
8. (biology, botany, zoology, countable) A plant or an animal, or part of a plant or animal, which has some peculiarity not usually seen in the species; an abnormal variety or growth. The term encompasses both mutants and organisms with non-genetic developmental abnormalities such as birth defects.
   • 2014 September 26, Charles Quest-Ritson, “The Dutch garden where tulip bulbs live forever: Hortus Bulborum, a volunteer-run Dutch garden, is dedicated to conserving historic varieties before they vanish for good [print version: Inspired by a living bulb archive, 27 September 2014, p. G5]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Gardening)‎^[1]:

     At Hortus Bulborum you will find heirloom narcissi that date back at least to the 15th century and famous old tulips like ‘Duc van Tol’ (1595) and its sports.

9. (slang, countable) A sportsman; a gambler.
10. (slang, countable) One who consorts with disreputable people, including prostitutes.
11. (obsolete, uncountable) An amorous dalliance.
12. (informal, usually singular) A friend or acquaintance (chiefly used when speaking to the friend in question)

    • 1924 July, Ellis Butler, “The Little Tin Godlets”, in The Rotarian‎^[2], volume 25, number 1, Rotary International, page 14:

      «Say, sport!» he would say briskly.

    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:friend

13. Term of endearment used by an adult for a child, usually a boy.

    Hey, sport! You’ve gotten so big since I saw you last! Give me five.

14. (obsolete) Play; idle jingle.
    • 1725-1726, William Broome, The Odyssey

      An author who should introduce such a sport of words upon our stage […] would meet with small applause.

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

From plural sports:

• Japanese: スポーツ (supōtsu)
• Korean: 스포츠 (seupocheu)

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

sport (third-person singular simple present sports, present participle sporting, simple past and past participle sported)

1. (intransitive) To amuse oneself, to play.

   children sporting on the green

2. (intransitive) To mock or tease, treat lightly, toy with.

   Jen sports with Bill’s emotions.

   • 1663, John Tillotson, The Wisdom of being Religious

     He sports with his own life.

3. (transitive) To display; to have as a notable feature.

   • 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:

     [The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across. Such pits are about the size of a bacterial cell. Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria, […].

   Jen’s sporting a new pair of shoes;  he was sporting a new wound from the combat

4. (reflexive) To divert; to amuse; to make merry.

   • Against whom do ye sport yourselves?

5. (transitive) To represent by any kind of play.
6. To practise the diversions of the field or the turf; to be given to betting, as upon races.
7. To assume suddenly a new and different character from the rest of the plant or from the type of the species; said of a bud, shoot, plant, or animal.
   • 1860, Charles Darwin, The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication

     more than one kind of rose has sported into a moss

8. (transitive) To close (a door).
   • 1904, M. R. James, The Mezzotint

     There he locked it up in a drawer, sported the doors of both sets of rooms, and retired to bed.

Translations[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

• -prost, -prost-, Ports, Prost, ports, strop, torps, trops.

Czech[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [ˈsport]

Noun[edit]

sport m inan

1. sport

Declension[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• sport in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• sport in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /spɔrt/
• Hyphenation: sport
• Rhymes: -ɔrt

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from English sport, from Middle English sport, from Middle English sport, from older disport, from Old French desport. First attested in the 19th century. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun[edit]

sport f (plural sporten, diminutive sportje n)

1. (countable) A sport; (uncountable) sports.

   Mijn buurman is dol op sport. ― My neighbour is keen on sports.

   Darts is de gezondste sport op aarde. ― Darts is the most healthy sport on Earth.

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

• → Caribbean Javanese: sport
• → Papiamentu: spòrt
• → West Frisian: sport

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle Dutch sporte, metathesised form of sprote. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun[edit]

sport f (plural sporten, diminutive sportje n)

1. rung, step on a ladder

Descendants[edit]

• → Papiamentu: spor, sport

Etymology 3[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb[edit]

sport

1. first-, second- and third-person singular present indicative of sporten
2. imperative of sporten

Anagrams[edit]

• sprot, strop

Estonian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From German Sport, from English sport.

Noun[edit]

sport (genitive spordi, partitive sporti)

1. sport, sports

Declension[edit]

References[edit]

• sport in Sõnaveeb

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English sport.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /spɔʁ/

Noun[edit]

sport m (plural sports)

1. sport

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

• Haitian Creole: espò
• → Romanian: sport
• → Turkish: spor
• → Walloon: spôrt

Further reading[edit]

• “sport”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Hungarian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [ˈʃport]
• Hyphenation: sport
• Rhymes: -ort

Noun[edit]

sport (plural sportok)

1. sport

Declension[edit]

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	sport	sportok
accusative	sportot	sportokat
dative	sportnak	sportoknak
instrumental	sporttal	sportokkal
causal-final	sportért	sportokért
translative	sporttá	sportokká
terminative	sportig	sportokig
essive-formal	sportként	sportokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	sportban	sportokban
superessive	sporton	sportokon
adessive	sportnál	sportoknál
illative	sportba	sportokba
sublative	sportra	sportokra
allative	sporthoz	sportokhoz
elative	sportból	sportokból
delative	sportról	sportokról
ablative	sporttól	sportoktól
non-attributive possessive — singular	sporté	sportoké
non-attributive possessive — plural	sportéi	sportokéi

Possessive forms of sport
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	sportom	sportjaim
2nd person sing.	sportod	sportjaid
3rd person sing.	sportja	sportjai
1st person plural	sportunk	sportjaink
2nd person plural	sportotok	sportjaitok
3rd person plural	sportjuk	sportjaik

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• sport in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

Italian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Unadapted borrowing from English sport.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɔrt/
• Rhymes: -ɔrt
• Hyphenation: spòrt

Noun[edit]

sport m (invariable)

1. sport (activity that uses physical skills, often competitive)
2. hobby, pastime

   fare qualcosa per sport ― to do something for fun

Derived terms[edit]

Lower Sorbian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English sport.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /spɔrt/

Noun[edit]

sport m

1. sport (athletic activity that uses physical skills)

Declension[edit]

References[edit]

• Starosta, Manfred (1999), “sport”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag

Norman[edit]

Noun[edit]

sport m (plural sports)

1. (Jersey) sport (physical activity pitting two or more opponents against each other)

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From English sport.

Noun[edit]

sport m (definite singular sporten, uncountable)

1. sport

   Synonym: idrett

Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Alternative forms[edit]

• spora, sporet

Verb[edit]

sport

1. past participle of spore

References[edit]

• “sport” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From English sport.

Noun[edit]

sport m (definite singular sporten, uncountable)

1. sport

   Synonym: idrett

Derived terms[edit]

• hestesport
• kampsport

References[edit]

• “sport” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English sport.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /spɔrt/
• Rhymes: -ɔrt
• Syllabification: sport

Noun[edit]

sport m inan

1. sport

Declension[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• sport in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• sport in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From French sport.

Noun[edit]

sport n (plural sporturi)

1. sport

Declension[edit]

Serbo-Croatian[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• špȍrt (Croatia)

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English sport.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /spôrt/

Noun[edit]

spȍrt m (Cyrillic spelling спо̏рт)

1. sport

Declension[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Swedish[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from English sport, first used in 1857.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɔʈ/
• Homophone: spott (southeastern Sweden)

Noun[edit]

sport c

1. sport

Declension[edit]

Declension of sport
	Singular	Plural
Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	sport	sporten	sporter	sporterna
Genitive	sports	sportens	sporters	sporternas

Derived terms[edit]

See also[edit]

• idrott

References[edit]

• sport in Nationalencyklopedin (needs an authorization fee).
• sport in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Etymology 2[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈspʊʈ/

Verb[edit]

sport

1. supine of spörja.

Anagrams[edit]

• ports, prost, torps

West Frisian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Dutch sport, from English sport.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /spɔ(r)t/

Noun[edit]

sport c (plural sporten)

1. sport (physical activity)

Further reading[edit]

• “sport”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

Ilmo

Member Emeritus

• #1

Is the word «sports» (or some word derived from it, like «deporte» in Spanish) used in your language, or have you a term of your own or any alternatives for sports?

In Finnish the word corresponding «sports» is urheilu; it is a noun derived from the adjective urhea (=brave), and the term was specially designed/invented in the early years of the last century. One of the reason for creating an own word may have been that no genuine Finnish word begins with two subsequent consonants. However, in spite of this, in the last few years the adjective sporttinen (=sporty) has been becoming more gereneral, mainly in the advertising vocabulary.

• #2

We use sport in Norwegian, but there’s also the word idrett (from Norse íþrótt, meaning both spiritual and physical excercise).

Sport is a bit more wide-spread, and in the news papers, the sports section is called just that. Idrett is used in some compounds, like friidrett, «track and field».

• #3

Ah…there is no such problem in Chinese. Our name is 体育(tĭ yù) or 运动(yùn dòng), which has no link with sports.

• #4

mmm interesting question…I dont think there is an alternative in Italia…or at least I cant think of any right now!

• #5

mmm interesting question…i dont think there is an alternative in italia…or at least i cant think of any right now!

I agree with you. In Italian we use the word «sport».
Nevertheless, in some cases we say «attività sportiva» as a synonym of «sport», for example in the sentence «faccio dello sport» = «faccio attività sportiva».

• #6

‘spor’ is used in Turkish and I don’t know any word for sport, either. It is very common. spor is also used as an adjective meaning comfortable, useful.

• #7

I’m not aware of another word for sport in Romanian other than, well, «sport»(neuter) — borrowed from French.

In Greek however, there are two words. The «international» «σπορ (το)» and the native word «αθλητισμός (ο)».

• #8

In Portuguese a customized alternative is used: ‘esportes.’

(I’m looking forward to hearing the Arabic one. I think I remember it was the same word for ‘mathematics’?)

• #9

(or some word derived from it, like «deporte» in Spanish)

«Deporte» derives from Latin «deportare», not from «sport».

• #10

In Greek however, there are two words. The «international» «σπορ (το)» and the native word «αθλητισμός (ο)».

Αθλητισμός is a general word, we also use the word άθλημα (it has the same route) to say sport! To make it clear:

Football is a sport.
Το ποδόσφαιρο είναι ένα άθλημα.

• #11

Portuguese has two other alternatives to esporte: desporte and desporto. Desporto is normally seen in the names of sports clubs and desporte is not seen much in Brazil. Without a shadow of a doubt, esporte is the most widely used word.

• #12

Very interesting question, Ilmo!
Besides what IPC and irene said, I would like to add that in Italy during fascism (when foreign words were forbidden because of an extreme nationalism) they tried to find a substitute for the word sport. And at last they chose diporto, that literally means «recreation», «amusement», «diversion». Nowadays this word is used mostly in the expression «imbarcazione/i da diporto», which means «pleasure boat/s», that is boats for tourism (not for commercial use).
Ciao!

The word diporto of course is quite similar to the spanish deporte.

• #13

«Deporte» derives from Latin «deportare», not from «sport».

That’s correct. The English term «sport» derives from the French which is derived from the Latin «deportare.» So I guess it’s the other way around.

Thanks for pointing that out. I was under the same impression as the original poster and learned something new today!

• #14

Very interesting question, Ilmo!
Besides what IPC and irene said, I would like to add that in Italy during fascism (when foreign words were forbidden because of an extreme nationalism) they tried to find a substitute for the word sport. And at last they chose diporto, that literally means «recreation», «amusement», «diversion». Nowadays this word is used mostly in the expression «imbarcazione/i da diporto», which means «pleasure boat/s», that is boats for tourism (not for commercial use).
Ciao!

The word diporto of course is quite similar to the spanish deporte.

Very interesting, rocamadour. I didn’t know that. Thanks!

• #15

Very interesting, rocamadour. I didn’t know that. Thanks!

E di che cosa, irene!
We’re all learning so many things in this thread…

• #16

Very interesting, rocamadour. I didn’t know that. Thanks!

Sottoscrivo quello che ha scritto Irene! Neanche io sapevo di questa parola «diporto»…grazie!

Ilmo

Member Emeritus

• #17

«Deporte» derives from Latin «deportare», not from «sport».

Thanks, Dr. Quizá, for the information. I’m not a latinist, and I just supposed wrong on basis of a phrase like «de sport» = sports, casual, and I thought that only the «s» was missing in «deportivo», etc.

One cannot avoid getting wiser every day…

• #18

Thanks, Dr. Quizá, for the information. I’m not a latinist, and I just supposed wrong on basis of a phrase like «de sport» = sports, casual, and I thought that only the «s» was missing in «deportivo», etc.

As a general rule, if two words look alike in English and Spanish, it is going to be a Latin or Greek word, and most likely, borrowed from French. English vocabulary is over 70% Greek and Latin; don’t forget that.

• #19

In Hebrew, the word for «sport» is «סְפּוֹרְט» (sport), and the word for athlete is either «סְפּוֹרְטַאי» (sporta’i, sort of like ‘sportsman’ in English) or «אַתְלֶט» (at-let, like ‘athlete’). «Sporty,» as in fashion or sportsmanlike, is «סְפּוֹרְטִיבִי» (sportivi).

In Yiddish, «sport» is «sport» (ספּאָרט), «sports» is «sportn» (ספּאָרטן), and «world of sports» is «sportvelt» (ספּאָרטוועלט).

Interestingly, the words for «sport» in Hebrew and Yiddish are both masculine in form… Hmmm… (though «world of sports» in Yiddish is female, and the adjectives in Hebrew can be made feminine with an additional suffix.)

• #21

In Sweden, like in Norway as mentioned, we have sport and idrott. I’m a word and language professional aka translator, but I haven’t quite been able to make up my mind on which to use when. Track and field events used to be friidrott, but nowadays, probably through English, those performing such activities often are referred to as atleter ‘athletes’, which in my youth just meant weightlifters and similar folks. Football and icehockey are in my book sporter, but never idrotter (plural forms).

Now here’s rather material for another thread. Hindi खेल्न khelna and English ‘to play’ correspond nicely if I’m not mistaken. I’m not equally certain about any overlapping between क्रीड़ा krii.daa and sports. That Hindi word seems to me to be more like ‘sporting’ as in ‘amusements’.

We make a clear distinction in Swedish between playing referring to children’s activities on one hand and playing instruments or games like tennis: the former is (infinitive) leka, the latter is spela. ‘I play the bassoon’ Jag spelar fagott (I try ), ‘I play football’ Jag spelar fotboll (I don’t ), but ‘The children play’ Barnen leker.

• #23

In Arabic the word for «sport» is quite different : » رياضة» (riyaDa ) comes from the root «راض » which means to practise, to exercise, to train».
What’s curious is that «mathematical» and «sport» (or «sporting) used as an adjective are translated by the same word رياضيّ ( riyaDiyy ) of which رياضيّات (riyaDiyyat ) , mathematics, is derived.

• #24

If only all languages made that association…

• #25

In danish you also use the word « idræt » (here the æ is pronounced as «a» in parked)

Sometimes the word idræt is the only one used, for example as a class in school «sports» is idræt.

Today in idræt we did different kinds of sports

In all, the meaning is quite similar as explained by Lemminkäinen regarding the norwegian idrett

• #26

Hindi खेल्न khelna and English ‘to play’ correspond nicely if I’m not mistaken.

खेलना is the correct spelling of «khelnaa» . And yes, they do correspond nicely.

jmx

Senior Member

• #27

Dr. Quizá said:

«Deporte» derives from Latin «deportare», not from «sport».

Thanks, Dr. Quizá, for the information. I’m not a latinist, and I just supposed wrong on basis of a phrase like «de sport» = sports, casual, and I thought that only the «s» was missing in «deportivo», etc.

I think the word «deporte» is in fact more of an invented term, just like what you mention for Finnish. That is, the word «deporte» had long been out of use when someone decided to revive it for a new concept, ‘sport’, using as an excuse that the English word has the same distant Latin root as that (then obsolete) Spanish word.

• #28

Ah…there is no such problem in Chinese. Our name is 体育(tĭ yù) or 运动(yùn dòng), which has no link with sports.

Actually I believe 体育 has something to do with English. 体育 as a compulsory course for contemporary Chinese students with «modern» sport forms really began not very long ago. The Chinese word for 体育 comes from the English P.E., physical education. Compare them and you’ll see there occured a word-for-word translation.

• #29

Baazi actually literally means «game», not sport. It’s used in such phrases as «baazi ye futbaal».

AND THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS THE «w» SOUND IN PERSIAN!

A more accurate transliteration would be «varzesh» and also «barzesh», which can both also be used to mean both physical exercise or an exercise in a workbook or textbook.

• #30

Hi!

The Indonesian word for sports is olahraga.
It contains olah and raga.

Olah = manufacture, process
Raga = body

Salam,

MarX

• #31

It still «sport or sports» in our country

• #33

Αθλητισμός is a general word, we also use the word άθλημα (it has the same route) to say sport! To make it clear:

Football is a sport.
Το ποδόσφαιρο είναι ένα άθλημα.

Actually technically speaking, football is not an «άθλημα» (‘aθlima, n.) but a «σπορ» (spor, n.) the Greek calque of the international word sport.
Track and field on the other hand (in Greek, «στίβος*», /’stivos/ m.) is an «άθλημα**». The English phrase nearest in meaning to «άθλημα» is contest.
Τhe neologism «ομαδικό άθλημα» (omaði’ko ‘aθlima), lit. team contest which has slowly begun to prevail over the borrowed word «σπορ» in Greek, is in my humble opinion, a contradiction. «Άθλημα» is an individual discipline.

*«στίβος» (‘stivos, m.); in the ancient language, «στίβος» (‘stībŏs, m.) described the trodden way, or the footstep. Later, after the birth of the Olympic games it also meant the track, atheletes run on. A derivation of the verb «στείβω» (‘steibō)—> to tread or stamp on, tread under foot (PIE base *steibʰ-, to press together, pack, cram).
**«άθλημα» (‘aθlima, n.)—> athletic contest; a derivation of the Classical masculine noun «ἄεθλος/ἆθλος» (‘ăĕtʰlŏs [uncontracted]/’ātʰlŏs [contracted])—> struggle, labour, ordeal of unknown etymology.