<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<p>Merels (also called Nine Men‘s Morris) comprises a family of traditional board games with ancient roots. Between medieval and modern times, merels saw an interesting onomasiological shift: Several European languages took up a new name for the game. This new name is sometimes claimed to have originated in German, but the details surrounding this naming practice are still unclear. There are mainly two German groups of names for this game, the older names based on the number 9 <italic>(Neunstein, Neunten Stein, Neunermal</italic> etc.) and the younger based on the German word for “mill” <italic>(Mühle, Mühlspiel, Mühleziehen </italic>etc.). Relying on philological evidence (partly pulled from lexicographical data) this paper outlines the evolution of German terms for merels, focusing on the naming practices from the 15th to 17th century. Possible motivations of the name <italic>Mühle</italic> are discussed. </p>
</abstract>

Merels (also called Nine Men‘s Morris) comprises a family of traditional board games with ancient roots. Between medieval and modern times, merels saw an interesting onomasiological shift: Several European languages took up a new name for the game. This new name is sometimes claimed to have originated in German, but the details surrounding this naming practice are still unclear. There are mainly two German groups of names for this game, the older names based on the number 9 (Neunstein, Neunten Stein, Neunermal etc.) and the younger based on the German word for “mill” (Mühle, Mühlspiel, Mühleziehen etc.). Relying on philological evidence (partly pulled from lexicographical data) this paper outlines the evolution of German terms for merels, focusing on the naming practices from the 15th to 17th century. Possible motivations of the name Mühle are discussed.

German Names for Merels

Board Game Studies Journal

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"German Names for Merels"}

Merels (also called Nine Men‘s Morris) comprises a family of traditional board games with ancient roots. Between medieval and modern times, merels saw an...

German Names for Merels

Published Online: Oct 19, 2023

Page range: 167 - 204

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bgs-2023-0005

Keywords
Merels, Nine Men’s Morris, Game Terms, German, Onomasiology, Board Game Names, Ludonyms

© 2023 Jonas Richter, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

German Names for Merels

Published Online: Oct 19, 2023

Page range: 167 - 204

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bgs-2023-0005

KeywordsMerels, Nine Men’s Morris, Game Terms, German, Onomasiology, Board Game Names, Ludonyms

© 2023 Jonas Richter, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Merels, Nine Men’s Morris, Game Terms, German, Onomasiology, Board Game Names, Ludonyms