checkmate

Where does the word "checkmate" come from? It comes from Persian shāh māt, passing through Old French before entering English (c. 1300s).

Checkmate’s story begins in Persian: shāh māt meant “the king is helpless.” The losing king was declared "helpless", not literally dead. By c. 1300s, the word had taken hold in Old French as eschec mat. Chess terminology spread through French courtly culture. It reached English by c. 1300s as checkmate. Fixed as the term for the winning move in chess. Today, checkmate means a chess move that traps the opponent's king and wins the game.

1. Stage 1 · Persian · medieval shāh māt "the king is helpless", the losing king was declared "helpless", not literally dead.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · c. 1300s eschec mat "the king is trapped", chess terminology spread through French courtly culture.
3. Stage 3 · English · c. 1300s checkmate "an inescapable winning position", fixed as the term for the winning move in chess.