Where does “cheating” come from?

Cheating derives from Middle English chete, from the noun escheat, which comes from Old French escheoir meaning to fall to a lord, from Latin ex meaning out.

cheating (English): present participle of cheat; An act of deception,...

Definitions

  1. present participle of cheat; An act of deception,...

Ancestry of “cheating”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcheatTo violate rules in order to gain advantage from...
2Middle Englishchetecottage
3Middle EnglishacheteEscheat; the acquisition of property left without an inheritor
4Middle EnglishescheteThe taking of property from a feudal subject due to extinction of their line or crimes committed; escheat
5Old Frencheschet
6Old Frenchescheoirto fall; to happen
7Latinexcadērefall out
8Latincadēre
9Latincadōto fall, to fall out
10Proto-Italickadōfall, sink
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱad-to fall

Words derived from “cheating

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱad-Every word from Proto-Italic kadōEvery word from Latin cadō