1
Stage 1 of 4
shah
Persian · ancient
"king"
meant "king"; the term for the piece threatened in chess
2
Stage 2 of 4
scaccus
Vulgar Latin · medieval
"chess, chessboard"
adapted the Persian word for chess terminology as the game spread through Arabic contact into Europe
3
Stage 3 of 4
eschequier
Old French · c. 1300
"chessboard, counting table"
named a checkered cloth used as a counting table for royal accounts
4
Stage 4 of 4
exchequer
English · c. 1300
"royal treasury department"
became the name of the English royal department of revenue, with a spurious "x" added later
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