The word card comes from the Arabic nab, meaning “prophet”. Cards were originally used for foreseeing the future. Symbols written on these objects were probably transcribed onto long strips of paper that evolved into numbered playing cards.
The earliest card games were used to teach history, mathematics and geography through play. They left much to chance. Soon, however, the concepts of combinations and tricks gave birth to more complex games requiring reasoning and strategy.
Suits vary widely. Spain and Italy have swords, cups, batons, and coins. Today's hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs first appeared in 15th-century Lyon. They are thought to be of military origin; the heart symbolizing the cavalry, spades the infantry, diamonds the artillery and clubs the supply troops. A total of 52 cards, which represent the number of weeks in a year, and 4 suits, the 4 seasons.
