Where does “Pong” come from?
Pong comes from English ping-pong, a game named for the sound of the ball striking the paddle and table.
Pong (English): An early video game from Atari, resembling ping-pong, in which two players control paddles and attempt to intercept a ball
Definitions
- An early video game from Atari, resembling ping-pong, in which two players control paddles and attempt to intercept a ball
Ancestry of “Pong”, step by step
Pong traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ping
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ping | A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | pingen | to push, shove, pierce, stab, prod, goad, urge,... |
| 3 | Old English | pyngan | to prick |
| 4 | Latin | pungere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | pungō | to prick, to sting |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pewǵ- | to punch, fist-fight; to prick, poke, stab |
via Romani pan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romani | pan | to stink |