eschec

Old French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *scaccus, from Arabic شَاه (šāh, “king in chess”), from Persian شاه (šāh, “shah, king”), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (šāh), from Old Persian 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/). Related is English check.

Noun

eschec oblique singular, m (oblique plural eschés, nominative singular eschés, nominative plural eschec)

1. failure (act of failing)
2. (chess) check (instance where one must move or cover the king)

Descendants

• French: échec
  • → Catalan: xec
• → Middle Dutch: scaec
  • Dutch: schaak
  • → Danish: skak
• → Middle English: chek, chekke
  • English: check, cheque (see there for further descendants)
• → Middle English: (via the plural eschés) ches, chees, chesse, echesse, esches
  • English: chess
  • Scots: chess