Where does “checkmater” come from?
checkmater (English) comes from English checkmate, from Middle English chekmat, from Old French eschec mat, from Arabic شاه مات, from Persian شاه مات — checkmate.
checkmater (English): One who checkmates
Definitions
- One who checkmates
Ancestry of “checkmater”, step by step
checkmater traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English checkmate
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | checkmate | Word called out by the victor when making a move... |
| 2 | Middle English | chekmat | Said when the opponent's king is captured |
| 3 | Old French | eschec mat | Alternative form of eschec et mat |
| 4 | Arabic | شاه مات | — |
| 5 | Persian | شاه مات | checkmate |
via English ER
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ER | The statistic "Earned Run"; Initialism of... |
| 2 | Turkish | er | early; brave; man, male |
| 3 | Ottoman Turkish | ایر | saddle, a seat for a rider placed on the back of a horse or other animal |
| 4 | Old Anatolian Turkish | ایر | early, at a time in advance of the usual or expected event |
| 5 | Proto-Turkic | ēder | saddle |