Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “checker” come from?

Checker comes from English chequer, from Latin scaccus, ultimately derived from Old Persian 𐏋.

checker (English): One who checks or verifies something; One who...

Definitions

  1. One who checks or verifies something; One who...

Ancestry of “checker”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcheckA situation in which the king is directly...
2EnglishchequerThe edible fruit of the wild service tree,...
3Old Frencheschequierexchequer
4Medieval Latinscaccariumchess board; chessboard; exchequer
5Vulgar Latinscaccuschess
6Arabicشَاهking in chess; king; king or check at chess, shah
7Persianشاهking; shah; king; Something that is the biggest...
8Middle Persian𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠king
9Old Persian𐏋king
10Proto-Iranianxšáyati—
11Proto-Indo-Iraniankšáyatihe rules, he has power over
12Proto-Indo-Europeanteḱ-to sire, beget

Words derived from “checker”

  • checkerboard
  • checkerspot
  • checkerwork
  • checkerwise
  • typechecker
  • checkerbloom
  • checkermallow
  • grammar checker
Every word from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- →