Where does “skák” come from?
skák (Faroese) comes from Old Norse skák, from Classical Persian شاه, from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠, from Old Persian 𐏋, from Proto-Iranian xšáyati, from Proto-Indo-Iranian kšáyati, from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- — to sire, beget.
skák (Faroese): chess; check
Ancestry of “skák”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | skák | chess; a game of chess |
| 2 | Classical Persian | شاه | — |
| 3 | Middle Persian | 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 | king |
| 4 | Old Persian | 𐏋 | king |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | xšáyati | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | kšáyati | he rules, he has power over |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |