American mahjong
麻雀, the sparrow
麻雀, the sparrow: the game's Cantonese name, its Mandarin form 麻將, and the bird on the 1 Bam.
What it means
In Cantonese the game is 麻雀, mah jeuk (Jyutping maa4 zoek3): sparrow. In Mandarin it is 麻將, májiàng, which is the form most English spellings come from. Both names are in use, and neither is more correct than the other.
The bird on the 1 Bam is often read as the game's own sparrow looking back at the player, which is one reason the tile is so well loved.
Where the history is uncertain
One story has it that the clatter of tiles being washed before a deal sounds like a flock of sparrows, and that the game took its name from the sound. It is a good story and it may be true; no one is sure.
The tiles, one by one
Screen 7 of 9 in What's on the tile.
A historian's review of the history on these screens is pending.