шах

See also: щях and щах

Bulgarian

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian شاه (šāh), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (šāh).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʃa̟x]

• Audio (Standard Bulgarian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ax

Noun

шах • (šah) m

1. (countable) shah (king of Persia or Iran, or supreme ruler in some Middle Eastern or South Asian nations)
2. (uncountable) chess (a board game for two players, each beginning with sixteen chess pieces moving according to fixed rules across a chessboard with the objective to checkmate the opposing king)
3. (chess) check (a situation in which the king is directly threatened by an opposing piece)
4. (countable) chess set (pieces and board)

Declension

Declension of шах

	singular	plural
indefinite	шах šah	ша́хове šáhove
definite (subject form)	ша́хът šáhăt	ша́ховете šáhovete
definite (object form)	ша́ха šáha
vocative form	ша́хо šáho	ша́хове šáhove

References

• “шах”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “шах”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010

Kazakh

Alternative scripts

Arabic	شاح
Cyrillic	шах
Latin	şax

Alternative forms

• шаһ (šah)

Etymology

From Classical Persian شاه (šāh), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (šāh).

Noun

шах • (šax)

1. shah

Macedonian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʃax]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

шах • (šah) m (relational adjective шаховски)

1. (countable) shah
2. (uncountable) chess
3. (uncountable, chess) check
4. (countable) chess set (pieces and board)

Declension

Declension of шах

	singular	plural
indefinite	шах (šah)	шахови (šahovi)
definite unspecified	шахот (šahot)	шаховите (šahovite)
definite proximal	шахов (šahov)	шаховиве (šahovive)
definite distal	шахон (šahon)	шаховине (šahovine)
vocative	шаху (šahu)	шахови (šahovi)
count form	—	шаха (šaha)

Mongolian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɕax/
• Syllabification: шах

Etymology 1

Mongolian	Cyrillic
ᠰᠢᠬ᠎ᠠ (siq-a)	шах (šax)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

шах • (šax)

1. a player's own shagai in a game of knucklebones

Etymology 2

Mongolian	Cyrillic
ᠱᠠᠾ (šah)	шах (šax)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɕax/
• Syllabification: шах

Noun

шах • (šax)

1. shah

Further reading

• “шах 1”, “шах 2”, in Монгол хэлний их тайлбар толь [Dictionary of the Mongolian Language] (in Mongolian), Institute of Linguistics of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, 2016–present

Pannonian Rusyn

Etymology

Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian шах / šah, ultimately from Classical Persian شاه (šāh), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (šāh), partially via German Schach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈʃax]
• Rhymes: -ax
• Hyphenation: шах

Noun

шах (šax) m pers

1. shah (king of Persia or Iran)

Declension

Declension of шах (šax)

	singular	plural
nominative	шах (šax)	шахове / шахи (šaxove / šaxi)
genitive	шаха (šaxa)	шахох (šaxox)
dative	шахови (šaxovi)	шахом (šaxom)
accusative	шаха (šaxa)	шахох (šaxox)
instrumental	шахом (šaxom)	шахами (šaxami)
locative	шахови (šaxovi)	шахох (šaxox)
vocative	шах (šax)	шахове / шахи (šaxove / šaxi)

Noun

шах (šax) m inan (relational adjective шаховски or шахови)

1. (uncountable) chess

   турнир у шаху ― turnir u šaxu ― chess tournament (literally, “tournament in chess”)

   буц у шаху ― buc u šaxu ― to be blackmailed (literally, “to be in chess”)

2. (uncountable, chess) check

   Coordinate term: мат (mat)

3. (countable) chess set

Declension

Declension of шах (šax)

	singular	plural
nominative	шах (šax)	шахи (šaxi)
genitive	шаху / шаха (šaxu / šaxa)	шахох (šaxox)
dative	шаху (šaxu)	шахом (šaxom)
accusative	шах (šax)	шахи (šaxi)
instrumental	шахом (šaxom)	шахами (šaxami)
locative	шаху (šaxu)	шахох (šaxox)
vocative	шаху (šaxu)	шахи (šaxi)

Related terms

nouns

• шах-клуб m (šax-klub)
• шах-мат m (šax-mat)
• шахиста m (šaxista)
• шахистка f (šaxistka)

verbs

• шаховац impf (šaxovac)

References

• Medʹeši, H.; Fejsa, M. (1997), “шах”, in Ramač, Ju., editor, Сербско-руски словнїк [Serbian-Rusyn Dictionary] (in Serbo-Croatian), volumes 2 (О – Ш), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy, page 808
• Medʹeši, H.; Fejsa, M.; Timko-Djitko, O. (2010), “шах”, in Ramač, Ju., editor, Руско-сербски словнїк [Rusyn-Serbian Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy, page 934
• Fejsa, M.; Šlemender, M.; Čelʹovski, S. (2022), “chess”, in Анґлийско-руски словнїк [English-Rusyn Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy; Ruska matka, →ISBN, page 53

Russian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʂax]
• Rhymes: -ax

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Classical Persian شاه (šāh).

Noun

шах • (šax) m anim (genitive ша́ха, nominative plural ша́хи, genitive plural ша́хов)

1. shah

Declension

Declension of шах (anim masc-form velar-stem accent-a) 

	singular	plural
nominative	ша́х šáx	ша́хи šáxi
genitive	ша́ха šáxa	ша́хов šáxov
dative	ша́ху šáxu	ша́хам šáxam
accusative	ша́ха šáxa	ша́хов šáxov
instrumental	ша́хом šáxom	ша́хами šáxami
prepositional	ша́хе šáxe	ша́хах šáxax

Etymology 2

Borrowed from German Schach.

Noun

шах • (šax) m inan (genitive ша́ха, nominative plural ша́хи, genitive plural ша́хов)

1. (chess) check (Russian notation: +)

Declension

Declension of шах (inan masc-form velar-stem accent-a) 

	singular	plural
nominative	ша́х šáx	ша́хи šáxi
genitive	ша́ха šáxa	ша́хов šáxov
dative	ша́ху šáxu	ша́хам šáxam
accusative	ша́х šáx	ша́хи šáxi
instrumental	ша́хом šáxom	ша́хами šáxami
prepositional	ша́хе šáxe	ша́хах šáxax

Derived terms

• шахова́ть (šaxovátʹ)

Descendants

• → Armenian: շախ (šax)

See also

• мат (mat)
• ша́хматы (šáxmaty)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Classical Persian شاه (šāh).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃâx/

Noun

ша̏х m inan (Latin spelling šȁh)

1. (countable) shah
2. (uncountable) chess
3. (uncountable, chess) check

Declension

Declension of шах

	singular	plural
nominative	ша̏х	ша̏хови
genitive	шаха	шахова
dative	шаху	шаховима
accusative	шах	шахове
vocative	шаше / шаху	шахови
locative	шаху	шаховима
instrumental	шахом	шаховима

Ukrainian

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian شاه (šāh).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈʃax]

Noun

шах • (šax) m inan (genitive ша́ху, nominative plural ша́хи, genitive plural ша́хів)

1. shah

Declension

Declension of шах
(inan velar masc-form accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	шах šax	ша́хи šáxy
genitive	ша́ху šáxu	ша́хів šáxiv
dative	ша́хові, ша́ху šáxovi, šáxu	ша́хам šáxam
accusative	шах šax	ша́хи šáxy
instrumental	ша́хом šáxom	ша́хами šáxamy
locative	ша́ху šáxu	ша́хах šáxax
vocative	ша́ху šáxu	ша́хи šáxy

Further reading

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “шах”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• “шах”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horox – Slovozmina, Horokh – Inflection]‎^[1]
• “шах”, in Kyiv Dictionary (in English)
• “шах”, in Словник.ua [Slovnyk.ua, Slovnyk.ua]‎^[2]