Where does “échec” come from?
échec (French) comes from Old French eschéc, from Vulgar Latin scaccus, from Arabic شَاه, from Persian شاه, from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠, from Old Persian 𐏋, from Proto-Iranian xšáyati, from Proto-Indo-Iranian kšáyati — to sire, beget.
échec (French): failure; check
Definitions
- failure; check
Ancestry of “échec”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | eschéc | failure (act of failing) |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | scaccus | chess |
| 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 |