1. What "Trump" Means in English, and What English Speakers Call the Cards
If you invite a foreign friend to play "Trump," they may not understand. This is because English speakers call the cards "playing cards." [1] In English, "trump" specifically means a card that can win against other cards in a game, as in the phrase "trump card" (the Japanese word is kirifuda, "cutting card"). [1]
In Japan, this word spread to name the entire deck. There are two main theories for why this happened: one suggests it was a misunderstanding, and the other suggests it was a translation error. Neither theory is proven to be the correct one. [1][9] Before we look at these theories, let us trace where cards were born and how they traveled to Japan.
2. The Theory That Playing Cards Began in China After Paper Was Invented
The leading theory is that playing cards originated in China. It is explained that after paper was invented, long, thin cards began to be used in games that previously used sticks or other objects. [1]
During the Tang Dynasty (618–907), records already mention cards that looked like dominoes. [2] However, the exact date of their birth is not clearly decided. So, what path did these cards take from China to distant Europe?
3. Old Egyptian Cards Found in the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul
In 1939, a man named Leo Aryeh Mayer found nearly one complete set of old cards in the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. [4] These cards were made in the 15th century during the Mamluk dynasty in Egypt. [4]
The suits were four types: coins, cups, swords, and polo sticks. Each suit had 13 cards: number cards from 1 to 10, and three picture cards with people. [4] Four suits times 13 cards equals 52 cards, which is the same structure as modern trump cards. [4]
However, Mayer reported that 47 cards remained, and later surveys said 48, suggesting multiple sets were mixed together. Also, because they are from the 15th century, they are not the exact cards that entered Europe in the 14th century. [4] Still, they are a clue to what the cards looked like on their way to Europe. What did these cards leave behind in Europe?
4. The Theory That Card Names Come from the Word "Viceroy" in Europe
In Europe, records of cards suddenly appear around 1370–1380. In 1371, the word "naip" appeared in a rhyming dictionary in Catalonia, eastern Spain. In the 1370s, rules banning cards were also issued in Florence, Italy. [3] It seems as if they suddenly became popular.
The path they took is still not decided. There are theories that Muslims brought them, or that Romani people brought them. [1] However, language is a clue. The Spanish word for cards, "naipes," and the Italian word "naibi," are said to come from the Arabic word "nā'ib," which means "viceroy" or "deputy." [4] This is linked to the fact that the Mamluk cards had a viceroy among their court cards. It is an etymological theory, not a settled fact. [4] The name of the cards may hold traces of their journey from the Islamic world.
5. How Card Suits Changed into Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades
The suits of Egyptian cards were coins, cups, swords, and polo sticks. These are different from today’s hearts and spades. French card makers are said to have invented simple suits that were easy to print by the end of the 15th century. These are the "French" suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. [5]
If the pictures were simple, it was easier to make the printing blocks, and they were well suited to mass production. [5] The Joker was added in America around 1860, though some sources say 1867, so the date varies slightly by source. [5] After this, the cards finally headed toward Japan.
6. How Portuguese Playing Cards Reached Japan First
It is said that Portuguese cards arrived in Japan first. Portuguese merchants and sailors brought them at the end of the Muromachi period; the sources used here do not give a single year for their arrival. [6] The word "karuta" itself comes from the Portuguese word "carta." [6]
During the Tensho era (1573–1592), "Tensho karuta" were made in Japan. They had four suits with 12 cards each, totaling 48 cards. [6] This is one card fewer per suit than the 13 cards in European and Egyptian cards. [6]
The Miike Karuta Historical Museum in Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture, has a Tensho karuta with the inscription "Miike-ju Teiji" on it. This suggests that Miike was an early production center, though it does not prove it was the birthplace. [7] From the Kan'ei era (1624–44) of the Edo period, karuta with designs changed for Japanese tastes were printed in large quantities in Miike, Kyoto, and Osaka. [6] However, karuta were often banned because they were associated with gambling. [7]
7. Western Card Imports in the Meiji Era and Two Theories on the Name "Trump"
In 1885 (Meiji 18), the Japanese government officially allowed the import and sale of Western cards (trump cards). Before 1885, card gambling was strictly cracked down on. [8]
Why did the name become "Trump"? The first theory is that Westerners who came to Japan in the early Meiji period often said "trump" (a winning card) while playing, and Japanese people mistakenly thought it was the name for the cards themselves. [1]
The second theory, which Wikipedia introduces, is that during import, the company Dandan-sha mistranslated an English description. They reportedly translated a sentence about "trump" as "Trump is a high-quality card among cards." [9] The name "Trump" also appears in the 1885 book "How to Use Western Game Karuta" by Sakurajo Suishi. [9]
It cannot be decided which theory is correct. Also, Nintendo’s official history states that they started manufacturing Japan’s first trump cards in 1902. [10] The journey that started with Chinese paper continued to cards made domestically.
8. How to Investigate the Structure of Playing Cards at Home
Take out the trump cards at home and count the suits. There are 4 suits, 13 cards each, totaling 52 cards (the Joker is separate). [4] This is the same structure as the Mamluk cards, but differs by one card from the 12 cards in Tensho karuta. [6] Compare the clothing and items held by the people on the picture cards and write down what you notice.
If you want to know more, please open the website of the Miike Karuta Historical Museum. [7]