Check
/tʃɛk/noun
To examine, verify, or stop something; also a written order to pay money.
Did you know?In chess, a “check” comes from the Persian/Arabic royal warning tradition, where the king’s exposure had to be announced before the game could continue.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*segh-
“to hold, overpower, or keep”
Old Persian
Old Persian
xšāyaθiya
“king”
Late Persian / Arabic
Persian/Arabic
šāh
“king; used in the phrase meaning the king is threatened in chess”
Medieval French
Old French
eschec
“a check, a setback; the chess warning of danger to the king”
Middle English
English
chek
“a check in chess; a restraint, hindrance, or rebuke”
Modern English
English
check
“to inspect, stop, verify, or a bank draft payable on demand”