How is it that "love" is used for "zero"

Nik   Mon Jun 04, 2007 6:00 am GMT
Any particular reason for this?
Uriel   Mon Jun 04, 2007 6:46 am GMT
Just a weird tennis thing.
Guest   Mon Jun 04, 2007 8:47 am GMT
"Love" in this case is actually derived from the French word l'oeuf. At least this pronunciation by English speakers was perceived to be similar to the French word.

In French l'oeuf means (the) egg. Since an egg looks like a zero it was used, at one time, to represent a nil score in tennis. In French, today, it's simply zéro.