CARROM

The word "carrom" probably originates in Timor in south east Asia. From there it travelled with the Portuguese who found it to be a convenient description for the Malabar coast of India. It is also the name of a particularly delicious fruit (star fruit) and by the late eighteenth century the English speaking world was familiar with the word in the context of the game of 'carrom billiards', a game played on a snooker type table without pockets. A little more time passes and the word 'carrom' becomes prominent in English usage, thanks to the growing popularity of billiards, to mean 'hitting one thing on to another'. More time passes and the word 'carrom' becomes the now more familiar 'canon' in English usage . By the time 'canon' was in usage in English 'carom' was becoming the standard name for a variety of games that form the basis of this book.