Schach

Etymology

From Middle High German schāch, from Arabic شاه (šāh), from Classical Persian شاه (šāh), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (mlkʾ /⁠šāh⁠/), from Old Persian 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/, “king”). Doublet of Check, Schah, and Scheck.

Oriental words were usually borrowed into Middle High German through Italian or Old French. Therefore the final /x/ is remarkable, because this sound was replaced with /k/ in Italian scacco, Old French échec. There are two possible explanations for this: Either the word was borrowed directly from Arabic during the early Crusades, or it was borrowed through Middle Dutch schaec and the -ch goes back to artificial reproduction of the High German consonant shift (as happened in several other words).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃax/

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ax

Noun

Schach n (strong, genitive Schachs, plural Schachs)

1. chess (game)
2. check (chess situation in which the king is directly threatened)

Noun

Schach m (strong, genitive Schachs, plural Schachs or Schache)

1. Obsolete form of Schah (“Persian or, by extension, other Oriental ruler”).

Further reading

• “Schach” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Schach” in Duden online

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃax/

Noun

Schach n

1. chess

   Schach spiele.

   To play chess.

Further reading

• Piter Kehoma Boll (2021) “Schach”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português (in Portuguese), 3rd edition, Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 138

Etymology

From German Schach, from Classical Persian شاه (šāh), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (mlkʾ /⁠šāh⁠/), from Old Persian 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/, “king”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃɑχ/
• Rhymes: -ɑχ

Noun

Schach n (uncountable)

1. chess

See also

Chess pieces in Luxembourgish · Schachfiguren (Schach + Figuren) (layout · text)
Kinnek	Damm	Tuerm	Leefer	Sprénger	Bauer

Further reading

• Schach in the Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire