Where does “check” come from?
check (American English) comes from Middle English chek, from Old French eschéc, from Vulgar Latin scaccus, from Arabic شَاه, from Persian شاه, from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠, from Old Persian 𐏋, from Proto-Iranian xšáyati — to sire, beget.
check (American English): A situation in which the king is directly...
Definitions
- A situation in which the king is directly...
Ancestry of “check”, step by step
check traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English chek
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | chek | Said when the opponent's king is under attack;... |
| 2 | Old French | eschéc | failure (act of failing) |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | scaccus | chess |
| 4 | Arabic | شَاه | king in chess; king; king or check at chess, shah |
| 5 | Persian | شاه | king; shah; king; Something that is the biggest... |
| 6 | Middle Persian | 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 | king |
| 7 | Old Persian | 𐏋 | king |
| 8 | Proto-Iranian | xšáyati | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | kšáyati | he rules, he has power over |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |