Sometimes Called Roshambo?
The Rock Paper Scissors game is sometimes called Roshambo or Rochambeau. The two are the same thing. These are the alternatives to the name. However, it should be noted that calling the RPS game any of the above two terms does not in any way alter the form of the game; neither does it create another variation of the game that is different from the true nature of the game. Among these three alternatives, the English Rock Paper Scissors is the most popular and generally accepted name for the Chinese-originated game. Since we know the interpretation of the Rock Paper Scissors game, it is quite easy to conclude how the name was formed. The next task is to understand how Roshambo or Rochambeau was created and how it became a synonym for Rock Paper Scissors.
Where Did The Name Come From?
The Rock Paper Scissors game is not believed to get the name Roshambo by a mere coincidence. For any person that is just coming in contact with the word being associated with the Rock Paper Scissors game, he would think that Roshambo is another name for Rock Paper Scissors game or a variation of the game in another country. Some people are of the firm opinion that Roshambo is the name Rock Paper Scissors game is popularly called in the Asian countries. Truly, one would be quick to agree with the idea that Roshambo sounds like a word from Asia. A fact that validates this idea is that since the game has its origin in the Asian part of the world, there is every possibility that the game has a name developed from the language of its place of birth. Do you think the same too?
However, what if you are told that there is more to it than just a language distinction. So where exactly did the word come from? What is the word’s significance in the game of Rock Paper Scissors? And if there is any connection, how strong is it because Roshambo is a word that is always present whenever the Rock Paper Scissors game is mentioned? All these questions will be treated with a single answer. And that is to trace the origin of the word itself and try to connect the dots with the RPS game. If any relationship exists whether through the languages used (that is, if Asian Roshambo is another word for the English Rock Paper Scissors) or as a variant of the English RPS, it will be treated accordingly and considered correct to say Roshambo and the Rock Paper Scissors game are actually related.
Roshambo Was A Man!
This must have come as a surprise for anyone who is just coming across this revelation. Roshambo was a man – a person like you. That is what history says. If Roshambo was a man but had his name related to the Rock Paper Scissors game, was he then the secret inventor of the game? The question that should follow this revelation is how a man’s name became the name of the game. Some people may reason along with the idea that perhaps the man was once a popular figure in the game or was a widely known professional. Hence, his name was added as part of the names of the Rock Paper Scissors game in order to immortalize and celebrate him. Whatever the case may be, the reality is looking right at you in the face. Roshambo was a man who once lived on this very earth.
One thing is getting clearer now. Roshambo was not just a random name formed from a language of a country as another name for RPS or to develop another variant of the game. The name must have had a purpose that backed its selection as part of the Rock Paper Scissors game. To avoid any form of conspiracy theory springing up, our task is to find the relationship between the man Roshambo and the Rock Paper Scissors game. This is important to figure out the true and valid reason or reasons why his name is forever attached to the Rock Paper Scissors game. To do this, it is essential to go back in history to learn about who Roshambo was, what he did during his time on earth, and how he influenced the RPS game to the extent that his name is etched on the RPS game.
Roshambo Or Rochambeau!
Rochambeau is the title given to a war commander during the American Revolution. The war commander was Jean Baptiste Donatian de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau who lived between 1725 and 1807. He was the commander of the French forces in North America during the American Revolutionary War. During his time, Jean Baptiste was a French nobleman.
When the French wanted to send army support to George Washington during the American Revolution, Jean Baptiste was the French General that was sent to together with an army to offer support and reinforcements during the war. According to history, he was such a great war general that King Louis XVI knighted him. He was made the knight of the Saint Espirit and appointed him as the governor of Picardy and Artois.
There happens to be a lot of information about the French general. But we will stop here since we are only looking for the connection between him and the RPS game and not to study the whole life of the war commander.
Possible Reasons
Beyond the surface of history, there can be many assumptions that try to connect the two together. Researchers have gone deep into studies and analysis to figure out how Jean Baptiste and the Rock Paper Scissors game can be related. In the face of this, few assumptions may explain some kind of connection between the two. Consider the following:
· How The War Was Settled
There have been questions whether the American Revolutionary War in some parts of the United States then was settled by Rock Paper Scissors. Particularly, one strong connection has been made regarding how the war in Yorktown ended. Coincidence or not, Yorktown was where the French general Jean Baptiste and his army served during the war. The connection is still a mystery. But people have raised questions as to how Washington made Cornwallis surrender in Yorktown. Perhaps it was settled over a game of Rock Paper Scissors with the help of the French general?
· A Reference To A War General During The American Revolutionary War
In the Western Coast of the United States, particularly in northern California, the term Roshambo is commonly used in place of Rock Paper Scissors. Legends in the area have it that the term dates back to a French general, Comte de Rochambeau, who fought on the side of the Americans against the British during the American Revolutionary War. His name was used as the codename of the battle of Yorktown, the place he served as the commander of the French troops.
· Transforming The Name
Another idea that has surfaced as the origin of Roshambo as another name for RPS is prevalent in the San Francisco area of the United States. The place is a port in western California is considered as one of the major industrial and transportation centres. From history, the area is home to a large population of East Asian immigrants. As a result of the contact between the Asians and the American kids in the bay area, the name must have surfaced. For instance, the kids must have “Americanize the “Jon Ken Pon” Rock Paper Scissors game into a word of similar cadence; hence, the term Roshambo. The strong argument for this is that the native English speakers may not have heard correctly what the East Asian immigrants were saying.
Is There Any Strong Connection?
From the traces of history above, there seems to be no connection at all between the French general who commanded soldiers into the American to help during the American Revolution and the Rock Paper Scissors game. Although, the only recognized element that happens to be present in both is that the RPS game found its way into the Western world and the French general too was confirmed to have set foot on the American soil. Apart from that, there is no other connection that strongly concludes that the Count of Rochambeau and the English RPS game was connected as at that time.
Although people try to connect the general to the game, there is no historical proof that can be used to trace Roshambo as a synonym of Rock Paper Scissors during the Revolutionary times. The first record of the name as a synonym of RPS was in a book called The Handbook for Recreation Leaders which was published in California in 1936. The book recorded the name of the game as “Ro-sham-beau.”
Through studying the history of Rock Paper Scissors, the World Rock Paper Scissors Association has found no evidence linking Comte de Rochambeau to the game of Rock Paper Scissors. Versions of the game originated in China in the 1600s, and then it spread to Japan where it was called “Jon Ken Pon.” The Japanese version of the game finally reached Europe in the early 20th century.