Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Arabic ·1300s
Checkmate
from shāh māt
- Meaning
- The winning move in chess.
- Source word
- shāh māt
- Route into English
- Persian/Arabic *shāh māt* ("the king is helpless") → Old French *eschec mat* → Middle English. The word "mate" here is not marriage but Arabic *māta* (to die, be helpless).
- Arrived
- 1300s
From Arabic
Science, trade, and the Mediterranean transit of Andalusian scholarship gave English its Arabic stratum — especially in maths, chemistry, and commerce. Many entered through Latin or Italian.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.