Introduction
All English meanings of "check" derive from the chess term:
checklist, checkup, checks and balances, checkers, checking account, checkered past, …
All of them.
Teaser
check,
chess,
checkers,
shah,
Xerxes
Full Text
-
Proto-Indo-European *tek- to reach for, to take, to obtain, to receive
-
Proto-Indo-European *téketi primary imperfective
-
Balto-Slavic *tektei
- Lithuanian tèkti to fall, to happen, to fall on
-
Proto-Indo-European *tkéyeti intransitive imperfective?
-
Indo-Iranian *kšáyati to possess, to rule
-
Indo-Aryan
- Sanskrit क्षयति kṣáyati to possess, to rule, to destroy, to burn
-
Indo-Iranian *kšatríyas possessor, ruler
-
Indo-Aryan *kšatríyas
-
Sanskrit क्षत्रिय kṣatriya military aristocratic caste
-
Sauraseni 𑀔𑀢𑁆𑀢𑀺𑀅 khattia
-
Punjabi ਖੱਤਰੀ khatrī
- English Khatri
- Hindi खत्री khatrī
-
Middle Chinese 剎帝利 chatdeili kshatriya
- Mandarin 剎帝利 chàdìlì kshatriya
- English kshatriya
- Hindi क्षत्रिय kṣatriy
- Indonesian kesatria knight, hero
- Thai กษัตริย์ gà-sàt kshatriya, king
-
Iranian *xšaθríyah
-
Western Iranian
-
Old Persian 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 xšāyaθiya king
-
Persian شاه šâh king, shah, check
-
Arabic شَاه šāh shah, (chess) king, check
-
Vulgar Latin *scaccus check
-
Western Romance
-
Old French eschec check
- French échec check, failure
- Dutch schaak check, chess
- English check
-
Old French eschés checks, chess game
- French échecs chess
- English chess
-
Italian scacco chess piece, chess square, check
-
Vulgar Latin *scaccarium chessboard lit. "place for shahs"
-
Western Romance
-
Old French escheker chessboard, checker pattern, accountant's (checkered) table
- French échiquier chessboard, treasury, exchequer
-
English checker
- English checkers
- English check
- English exchequer
- English check
- Spanish escaque checkerboard
- English shah
-
Persian شاه مات šâh mât checkmate lit. "The king is stupified/ambushed/abandoned"
-
Arabic شَاهُ مَاتَ šāhu māta checkmate
-
Old French eschec (et) mat checkmate
- French échec et mat checkmate
- English checkmate
- Italian scacco matto checkmate
-
Persian پادشاه pâdešâh Padishah lit. "master-king"
-
Old Persian 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 Xšayāršā King-Hero (personal name)
-
Ancient Greek Ξέρξης Xérxēs
-
Indo-Iranian *kšatrám kingdom, dominion, rule
-
Indo-Aryan *kṣatrám
- Sanskrit क्षत्र kṣatrá power, kingdom, government
-
Iranian *xšaθram
- Avestan 𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬚𐬭𐬀 xšaθra control, authority, power
-
Western Iranian
-
Old Persian 𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶 xšaçam kingdom, kingship, realm, reign
-
Old Persian 𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎱𐎠𐎺𐎠 xšaçapāvā satrap, governor, viceroy lit. "kingdom-protector"
-
Ancient Greek σᾰτράπης satrápēs satrap, governor
-
Latin satrapēs satrap, governor
-
Old Persian 𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎠 Artaxšaçā Truth-Kingdom (personal name)
- Persian اردشیر Ardešir
-
Ancient Greek Ἀρταξέρξης Artaxérxēs refashioned after Ξέρξης Xérxēs
-
Proto-Indo-European *tékō noun
-
Celtic
- Old Irish techt possessions, property
-
Germanic *þegō a receiving, acceptance, a taking
-
West Germanic
-
Old English *þegu
- Old English bēorþegu beer-drinking
Visual
Collected English words
Khatri,
kshatriya,
check,
chess,
checker,
checkers,
check,
exchequer,
check,
shah,
checkmate,
Padishah,
Xerxes,
satrap,
Artaxerxes
Footnotes