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check

Check began as the chess warning 'shāh!', 'king!', a Persian word that Arabic passed to medieval Europe with the game; players from Istanbul to Moscow, Madrid and Munich still call it across the board. In English the chess sense spread to any sudden stop, then to checking something, a bank cheque and a restaurant bill.

Weakest linkProbable

The road to English

From Persian to English

From Arabic to Old Spanish, Spanish

From Old French to Middle High German, German

From Persian to Ottoman Turkish

From Persian to Russian

From Arabic to Portuguese

From Medieval Latin to Italian

From Old French to French

From English to American English

From English to Japanese

520 BCEOld Persian

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.