Where does “chess” come from?
Chess comes from Middle English ches, from Old French eschés, from Persian شاه, from Latin scaccus, from Old Persian 𐏋, from Persian شاه, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European tek-.
chess (English): A board game for two players with each beginning...
Definitions
- A board game for two players with each beginning...
Ancestry of “chess”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ches | A set for playing chess; a chess board and chess... |
| 2 | Old French | eschés | chess; inflection of eschec: ## oblique plural ##... |
| 3 | Arabic | شَاه | king in chess; king; king or check at chess, shah |
| 4 | Persian | شاه | king; shah; king; Something that is the biggest... |
| 5 | Middle Persian | 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 | king |
| 6 | Old Persian | 𐏋 | king |
| 7 | Proto-Iranian | xšáyati | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | kšáyati | he rules, he has power over |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |