Translation
chess; check (the call in chess)
Word origin
From Persian shah, 'king', which travelled with the game across Arabic and into every European language. The warning call ŝak means the king is under attack, and ŝakmato comes from shah mat, most reliably read as 'the king is helpless' rather than the popular 'the king is dead'. English got check, checkmate and, by way of the chequered counting cloth, exchequer and cheque from the same word.
- Origin
- Persian, via Arabic and Old French
- Root
- shah
- English cognates
- chess, check, checkmate, exchequer
Examples
.
My grandfather plays chess with the neighbour every evening.
.
The king is the most important piece in chess.
, .
He learnt chess from his father when he was a child.
One Persian noun paid for a whole shelf of English vocabulary, and is the Esperanto end of it. ! is what you say when the king is attacked and ŝakmato when he has nowhere left to go. A single game is , not ludo: .
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ŝako: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "ŝako" (chess; check (the call in chess)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 35.