Q: What is the origin of 'love' meaning 'nil' in tennis scoring?
A: It seems to have been adapted from the phrase 'to play for love (of the game)' - that is, to play for nothing. Although the theroy is often heard that it represents the French word 'l'oeuf' (the egg - from the resemblance between an egg and a nought), this seems unlikely.
Source: www.askoxford.com
