the "essence" of the kangaroo, says the savage; he is playing the kangaroo, say we. The savage, however, knows nothing of the conceptual distinctions between "being" and "playing"; he knows nothing of "identity'\ "image" or "symbol"." In this way Huizinga suggests the universally understood concept of play is more fitting to both societies to describe this phenomenon. II. The play concept as expressed in language Word and idea are not born of scientific or logical thinking but of creative language, which means of innumerable languages—for this act of "conception" has taken place over and over again. Huizinga has much to say about the words for play in different languages. Perhaps the most extraordinary remark concerns the Latin language. "It is remarkable that , as the general term for play, has not only not passed into the Romance languages but has left hardly any traces there, so far as I can see... We must leave to one side the question whether the disappearance of and is due to phonetic or to semantic causes." Of all the possible uses of the word "play" Huizinga specifically mentions the equation of play with, on the one hand, "serious strife", and on the other, "erotic applications". Play-category, play-concept, play-function, play-word in selected languages Huizinga attempts to classify the words used for play in a variety of natural languages. The chapter title uses "play-concept" to describe such words. Other words used with the "play-" prefix are play-function and play-form. The order in which examples are given in natural languages is as follows: Greek (3) — pertaining to children's games, — associated with the idea of the trifling, the nugatory, — for matches and contests. Sanskrit (4) krīdati — denoting the play of animals, children, adults, divyati — gambling, dicing, joking, jesting, ..., vilāsa — shining, sudden appearance, playing and pursuing an occupation, līlayati — light, frivolous insignificant sides of playing. Chinese (3) wan — is the most important word covering children's games and much much more, zheng — denoting anything to do with contests, corresponds exactly to the Greek agon, sai — organized contest for a prize. Blackfoot (2) koani — all children's games and also in the erotic sense of "dallying", kachtsi — organized play. Japanese (1) asobu — is a single, very definite word, for the play function. Semitic languages la’ab (a root, cognate with la’at) — play, laughing, mocking, la’iba (Arabic) — playing