The language of sport

Talk about sport in any language, and sooner or later you'll find yourself using English words. The British were the first people to write down standard rules for a lot of sports, even in sports like tennis which was invented by the French, or golf which was probably played in Holland, before becoming a national sport in Scotland. As the rules of lots of different sports spread all over the world, so did the language of sport. In the world of horse-racing, words like groom and lad and steeple chase spread to other countries; so too did the word "Derby". The word came to mean an important race, usually between horses. One of the most famous horse races in Ireland is called the Irish Sweeps Derby, and one of the most famous American races is called the Kentucky Derby; and the word is used for other sports too, for important matches between two teams. In England, the "Manchester Derby" is a football match between Manchester United and Manchester City. "Derby" is the name of a town in the middle of England; it is also the name of England's most famous horse race, The Derby. Today the Derby has the reputation of being the world's most famous classic horse race.