[blml] dutch queen

[Alain Gottcheiner]

At 17:35 6/11/2006 +0100, Andre Kriner wrote:

>We indeed use Coeur, which left me confused the first few times I played
>at a club.
>Also, instead of "Treff" most other cardgames use "Kreuz".

There might be the beginning of an explanation : history of cards. France 
was the first country to use abstract symbols for suits. Their influence 
was therefore pretty important. Former cards showed objects, as they still 
do e.g. in traditional Spanish packs or Tarot packs.

Contrary to what happens in many other fields of human activity, the 
Germans didn't coin their own words, something they're pretty good at. I've 
also heard Hungarians use German forms of French names.
Another hint comes from Esperanto, which uses German/French names too 
(piko, kero, karoo, trefo), rather than object names.

Spades : originally swords, spears or halberds . The heads or blades were 
stylized into the present form. The French "pique" means "spearhead". The 
Dutch "schoppen" means "spade blade" IIRC.
Hearts : originally cups. The heart form isn't very far off.
Diamonds : the most complicated : originally either coins (Spanish word : 
denero) or crossbow quarrels (same etymology as French "carreau") whence 
the form ; "carreau" also means "square" (e.g. floor tile, checked fabric) 
or "window pane" ; hence the litteral Dutch traduction as "ruiten" (window 
pane).
Clubs : originally clubs. The clover (Dutch klaveren) form perhaps comes 
from the association with shillelagh. The stylized form orignally was 
thinner, hence the idea of a cross (German Kreuz).

The reason why clubs, not diamonds, usually represent money, would be 
interesting to investigate.

Best regards

   Alain