<P> Pétanque (French pronunciation: ​ (petɑ̃k); Occitan: petanca (peˈtaŋkɔ)) is a form of boules where the goal is to toss or roll hollow steel balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally "piglet") or jack, while standing inside a circle with both feet on the ground . The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel . It can be played in public areas in parks, or in dedicated facilities called boulodromes . Similar games are bocce, bowls and (adapted to ice) curling . </P> <P> The current form of the game originated in 1907 or 1910 in La Ciotat, in Provence, France . The French name pétanque (borrowed into English, with or without the acute accent) comes from petanca in the Provençal dialect of the Occitan language, deriving from the expression pès tancats (ˈpɛs taŋˈkats), meaning' feet fixed' or' feet planted' (on the ground). </P>

Pétanque popular in the south of france is also called