book

Sranan Tongo: buku

Tok Pisin: buk
→ Rotokas: vuku

→ Chichewa: buku

→ Hawaiian: puke

→ Lingala: búku

→ Malagasy: boky

→ Maori: pukapuka (with reduplication)

→ Marshallese: bok

→ Motu: buka

→ Malagasy: boky

→ Shona: bhuku

→ Somali: buugga

i

possibly also from Afrikaans <i class="Latn mention" lang="af">boek</i>

→ Sotho: buka (possibly also from Afrikaans boek)

→ Zulu: ibhuku (possibly also from Afrikaans boek)

From Middle English bok, book, from Old English bōc, from Proto-West Germanic *bōk, from Proto-Germanic *bōks. Eclipsed non-native Middle English livret, lyveret (“book, booklet”) from Old French livret (“book, booklet”). Bookmaker sense by clipping.

some speakers from Northern England and Ireland

buck (without the foot-strut split, when pronounced /bʊk/)

have more chins than a Chinese phone book

why buy a book when you can join a library

why buy a book when you can join the library

The opposite-colored bishops endgame is usually a book draw.

A book move

out of book

White to move and win. How can he do it? The BK plans a march to h8, eating the f4 pawn en route, for a book draw.

2018 April 6, Leonard Barden, “Chess: Schoolboy Vincent Keymer secures shock triumph at Grenke Open”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 2023-01-12:

This seems certain to simplify into a battle between White's king, rook and two pawns against Black's king and rook. In some cases a book draw is possible. But a book win is more likely.

2020, Andrew Soltis, How to Swindle in Chess, Batsford Books, →ISBN:

(chess, uncountable) The sum of chess knowledge in the opening or endgame.


A

19. Ac4xd5, Ab7xd5

1997, Anatoly Karpov, EL AJEDREZ. Aprender y progresar, page 24:

Tae1, Ae6

1998, Benito López Esnaola, Ajedrez a la ciega, page 87:

Veamos un ejemplo: 1. e4, e5; 2. Cf3, Cc6; 3. Ac4, Cd4?

2006, Antonio Lopez Manzano, Joan Segura Vila, “Los Errores en la Apertura. Las celadas.”, in Iniciación al ajedrez, volume 59, page 79:

Let's look at an example: 1. e4, e5; 2. Nf3, Nc6; 3. Bc4, Nd4?


elephant

en-noun

elephant (countable and uncountable, plural elephants)

→ Hawaiian: ʻelepani

→ Maori: arewhana

→ Tokelauan: elefane

→ Tongan: ʻelefanite

→ Welsh: eliffant

From Middle English elefant, elefaunt, from Old French elefant, elefan, olifant, re-latinized in Middle French as elephant, from Latin elephantus, from Ancient Greek ἐλέφᾱς (eléphās) (gen. ἐλέφαντος (eléphantos)). Believed to be derived from an Afroasiatic form such as Proto-Berber *eḷu (“elephant”) (compare Tamahaq êlu, Tamasheq alu) or Egyptian ꜣbw (“elephant; ivory”). More at ivory. Replaced Middle English olifant (from the aforementioned Old French form, from Vulgar Latin *olifantus), which replaced Old English elpend (“elephant”).

elephant trunk

Pachypodium namaquanum or Agave attenuata

elephant tortoise

Testudo gigantea or Testudo elaphantopus

elephant yam

Amorphophallus konjac or Amorphophallus paeoniifolius

Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant

(paper, printing) Synonym of elephant paper

(xiangqi) A xiangqi piece that is moved two points diagonally, may not jump over intervening pieces and may not cross the river.


abacus

la-noun

abacus m (genitive abacī); second declension

abacī (genitive)
abacus (nominative singular)
abacī (nominative plural)
abacī (genitive singular)
abacōrum (genitive plural)
abacō (dative singular)
abacīs (dative plural)
abacum (accusative singular)
abacōs (accusative plural)
abacō (ablative singular)
abacīs (ablative plural)
abace (singular vocative)
abacī (plural vocative)

→ Catalan: àbac

→ English: abacus

⇒ Esperanto: abako

→ French: abaque

→ Romanian: abac

→ Galician: ábaco

→ German: Abakus

→ Irish: abacas

→ Italian: abaco

→ Malay: abakus

→ Norwegian Bokmål: abakus

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: abakus

→ Portuguese: ábaco

→ Russian: аба́к (abák)

→ Spanish: ábaco

From Ancient Greek ἄβαξ (ábax, “board”).

Sed cum inter initia imperii eburneis quadrigis cotidie in abaco luderet, ad omnis etiam minimos circenses e secessu commeabat, primo clam, deinde propalam, ut nemini dubium esset eo die utique affuturum.

c. 69 CE – 122 CE, Suetonius, De vita Caesarum Neronis XXII.period1

But in the early stages of his rule he used to play every day on a gaming board with ivory chariots. He would also travel from his retreat to the Circus games, even the least important ones, at first in secret and then openly. As a result, no one was in any doubt that he would be present in Rome that day at least.


馬

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (馬):
* → Japanese: 馬(ば) (ba)
* → Korean: 마(馬) (ma)
* → Vietnamese: mã (馬, “(xiangqi) horse; (chess) knight”)

desctree

→ Proto-Tai: *maːꟲ (“horse”)
Northern Tai
Bouyei: max
Zhuang: max
Central Tai
Tày: mạ
Nùng: mạ
Nong Zhuang: max
Proto-Southwestern Tai:
Ahom: 𑜉𑜠 (ma), 𑜉𑜡 (mā), 𑜉𑜡𑜠 (māa)
Thai: ม้า (máa)
Northern Thai: ᨾ᩶ᩣ
Lao: ມ້າ (mā)
Lü: ᦙᦱᧉ (maa²)
Tai Dam: ꪣ꫁ꪱ
Shan: မႃႉ (mâ̰a)
Tai Nüa: ᥛᥣᥳ (mȧa)

desc

→ Thai: เบ๊ (bée, “horse”) (via Teochew)

Cursive script (East Asia)
Semi-cursive script

Pictogram (象形) – a horse with its head facing the left, showing a flowing mane in the wind. In the bronze inscriptions, the head was often simplified into an eye (目 (mù)). The legs eventually evolved into four dots (灬 (huǒ), unrelated to 火 (huǒ)).
Contrast with 鹿 (lù, “deer”), which saw a very different development, and 𢊁 (as in 薦 /荐 (jiàn)), which is a hybrid: it has the legs of 馬 (灬 (huǒ)) but the head of 鹿 (lù).
“Horse” – from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *k-m-raŋ ~ s-raŋ. The sense of “big” is derived from “horse”; compare the English uses of horse.
For the insect prefix sense, see 螞 /蚂. It has converged with the sense of “big”.
The surname is popularly known to be prevalent among Hui Muslims, where it is likely derived from Arabic مُحَمَّد (muḥammad, “Muhammad”), although the surname 馬 itself predates Islam.

马
𫠉
傌
𢒗
𢒠
𢒧
𩡬
𩡮
抹
碼

阿胡拉·馬茲達

Āhúlā Mǎzīdá

阿胡拉·马兹达

Āhúlā Mǎzīdá

馬斯特里赫特

Mǎsītèlǐhètè

(xiangqi) knight; horse: 🩪 (sometimes only on the black side)


馬

馬 (canonical)
馬 (canonical)
uma (romanization)
頭 (counter)

Horse
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Tokyo dialect
Tōkai–Tōsan dialects
ja:馬

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.
The initial m sound was apparently emphasized, possibly similar to *mma, becoming then uma or muma, via processes also seen in the word 梅 (ume, mume, “plum”). However, Pellard simply reconstructs Proto-Japonic *uma and treats the mentioned processes as secondary.
The ma sound denoting "horse" is common to a number of languages of central Asia, where horses were first domesticated, which has led some to speculate about a possible cognate root (but no consensus on any kind of relation exists). Compare Manchu ᠮᠣᡵᡳᠨ (morin, “horse”), Mongolian морь (morʹ, “horse”), Korean 말 (mal, “horse”), Mandarin 馬 /马 (mǎ, “horse”), and Proto-Indo-European *márkos (“horse”) and descendants such as Irish marc (“horse”, archaic) or English mare (“female horse”). More at *márkos.


馬

chữ Hán form of mã (“(xiangqi, chess) a knight; any piece labeled with 馬 (black)”).


西

ja-noun

西(シャー) • (shā)

Possibly a corruption of Mandarin 西 (xī, “west”).

(mahjong) a 役 (yaku, “winning hand”) with a triplet or quad of west wind tiles; depending on wind round and player's seat wind, it is worth either 1 or 2 翻 (han, “doubles”)


車

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (車):
* → Japanese: 車(しゃ) (sha)
* → Korean: 차(車) (cha), 거(車) (geo)
* → Vietnamese: xa (車)

→ Vietnamese: xe (車, “wheeled vehicle”)

→ Zhuang: ci (“vehicle”)

Pictogram (象形) – originally a carriage seen from above. In the oracle bone script, there were large wheels on both sides and a sun shade on the top. Later, when Chinese characters were written vertically, the wheels on both sides were simply drawn in strokes and the loading area was marked with a 田 (OC *l'iːŋ). Therefore, it is important to understand that the current character, 車 (OC *kʰlja, *kla) is a vertical depiction of a carriage.
Note that 倝 (OC *kaːns) and 朝 (OC *ʔr'ew, *r'ew) are not derived from 車 (OC *kʰlja, *kla).
Perhaps a loan from an Indo-European language because the horse and chariot were introduced into China around 1200 BC from Inner Asia; compare Tocharian A kukäl, Tocharian B kokale (“wagon; cart”) (Mair, 1990, Bauer, 1994), from Proto-Tocharian *kuk(ä)le, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos, a form of *kʷel- (“to turn”). Cognate with English wheel, Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos), Lithuanian kaklas (“neck”), etc.
An older variant survives in Mandarin 軲轆／轱辘 (gūlu, “wheel”) (Bauer, 1994). Alternatively, the word is a derivation by k-prefix from 舁 (OC *la, “to lift”) (Baxter and Sagart, 1998); compare the semantic parallel in Tibetan ཐེག་པ (theg pa, “vehicle; carriage”) (OC *kʰljaʔ, *kʰljas) and 居 (OC *kas) (Schuessler, 2007). Pronunciation 2 is traditionally regarded as the older pronunciation.
The sense of lewd content is derived from 老司機 /老司机 (lǎosījī).

cog

(xiangqi) chariot; rook: 🩫 (Classifier: 隻／只 c)


bone

en-noun

bone (countable and uncountable, plural bones)

From Middle English bon, from Old English bān (“bone, tusk; the bone of a limb”), from Proto-Germanic *bainą (“bone”), from *bainaz (“straight”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to hit, strike, beat”).
Cognate with Scots bane, been, bean, bein, bain (“bone”), North Frisian bien (“bone”), West Frisian bien (“bone”), Dutch been (“bone; leg”), German Low German Been, Bein (“bone”), German Bein (“leg”), German Gebein (“bones”), Swedish ben (“bone; leg”), Norwegian and Icelandic bein (“bone”), Breton benañ (“to cut, hew”), Latin perfinēs (“break through, break into pieces, shatter”), Avestan 𐬠𐬫𐬈𐬥𐬙𐬈 (byente, “they fight, hit”). Related also to Old Norse beinn (“straight, right, favourable, advantageous, convenient, friendly, fair, keen”) (whence Middle English bain, bayne, bayn, beyn (“direct, prompt”), Scots bein, bien (“in good condition, pleasant, well-to-do, cosy, well-stocked, pleasant, keen”)), Icelandic beinn (“straight, direct, hospitable”), Norwegian bein (“straight, direct, easy to deal with”). See bain, bein.

cog

sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh

Anything made of bone, such as a bobbin for weaving bone lace.

Let's head to the casino and roll them bones!

The Accountant had brought out already a box of dominoes, and was toying architecturally with the bones.

1899 (please specify the page), Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part:

(slang, chiefly in the plural) A domino or die.


bone

en-verb

bone (third-person singular simple present bones, present participle boning, simple past and past participle boned)

bones (present singular third-person)
boning (participle present)
boned (participle past)
boned (past)

“You don’t know!”, Bony echoed. “You can tell me who boned me fifteen years ago on the other side of the world, and you can’t tell me who killed the white-fella in the Crater”.

1962, Arthur Upfield, The Will of the Tribe, Collier Books, page 48:

(Australia, dated, in Aboriginal culture) To perform “bone pointing”, a ritual that is intended to bring illness or even death to the victim.


die

From Middle English dee, from Old French de (Modern French dé), from Latin datum, from datus (“given”), the past participle of dō (“to give”), from Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- (“to lay out, to spread out”). Doublet of datum.
Replaced Old English tasul, tesul (“die”), from Latin tessella (“die, cube”).

der

A device for cutting into a specified shape.


tables

(backgammon) The halves or quarters of a backgammon board.


point

en-noun

point (countable and uncountable, plural points)

→ Cantonese: point

→ Indonesian: poin

→ Japanese: ポイント (pointo)

→ Korean: 포인트 (pointeu)

From Middle English poynt, from Old French point m (“dot; minute amount”), from Latin pūnctum (“a hole punched in; a point, puncture”), substantive use of pūnctus m, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick, punch”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- (“prick, punch”)); alternatively, from Old French pointe f (“sharp tip”), from Latin pūncta f (past participle). Displaced native Middle English ord (“point”), from Old English ord (“point”). Doublet of pointe, punctum, punt, and punto.

kärki

position at the front or vanguard of an advancing force

decimal point

not used when reading decimal fractions aloud

The one with the most points will win the game.

A small discrete division or individual feature of something.

(sports, video games, board games) A unit of scoring in a game or competition.

punt

This attack deals 320 points of damage.

Defeating the boss grants 60 experience points.

(video games, board games) A unit of various numerical parameters used in a game, e.g. health, experience, stamina, mana.

(backgammon) Each of the twelve triangular positions in either table of a backgammon board, on which the stones are played.

kiila

backgammon: one of the twelve triangular positions


crap

(gambling, dice games) A losing throw of 2, 3, or 12 in craps.


mars

az-noun

mars (definite accusative marsı, plural marslar)

marsı (accusative definite)
marslar (plural)
mars (nominative singular)
marslar (nominative plural)
marsı (accusative definite singular)
marsları (accusative definite plural)
marsa (dative singular)
marslara (dative plural)
marsda (locative singular)
marslarda (locative plural)
marsdan (ablative singular)
marslardan (ablative plural)
marsın (definite genitive singular)
marsların (definite genitive plural)
marsım (first-person nominative possessive singular)
marslarım (first-person nominative possessive singular)
marsın (nominative possessive second-person singular)
marsların (nominative possessive second-person singular)
marsı (nominative possessive singular third-person)
marsları (nominative possessive singular third-person)
marsımız (first-person nominative plural possessive)
marslarımız (first-person nominative plural possessive)
marsınız (nominative plural possessive second-person)
marslarınız (nominative plural possessive second-person)
marsı (nominative plural possessive third-person)
marsları (nominative plural possessive third-person)
marsımı (accusative first-person possessive singular)
marslarımı (accusative first-person possessive singular)
marsını (accusative possessive second-person singular)
marslarını (accusative possessive second-person singular)
marsını (accusative possessive singular third-person)
marslarını (accusative possessive singular third-person)
marsımızı (accusative first-person plural possessive)
marslarımızı (accusative first-person plural possessive)
marsınızı (accusative plural possessive second-person)
marslarınızı (accusative plural possessive second-person)
marsını (accusative plural possessive third-person)
marslarını (accusative plural possessive third-person)
marsıma (dative first-person possessive singular)
marslarıma (dative first-person possessive singular)
marsına (dative possessive second-person singular)
marslarına (dative possessive second-person singular)
marsına (dative possessive singular third-person)
marslarına (dative possessive singular third-person)
marsımıza (dative first-person plural possessive)
marslarımıza (dative first-person plural possessive)
marsınıza (dative plural possessive second-person)
marslarınıza (dative plural possessive second-person)
marsına (dative plural possessive third-person)
marslarına (dative plural possessive third-person)
marsımda (first-person locative possessive singular)
marslarımda (first-person locative possessive singular)
marsında (locative possessive second-person singular)
marslarında (locative possessive second-person singular)
marsında (locative possessive singular third-person)
marslarında (locative possessive singular third-person)
marsımızda (first-person locative plural possessive)
marslarımızda (first-person locative plural possessive)
marsınızda (locative plural possessive second-person)
marslarınızda (locative plural possessive second-person)
marsında (locative plural possessive third-person)
marslarında (locative plural possessive third-person)
marsımdan (ablative first-person possessive singular)
marslarımdan (ablative first-person possessive singular)
marsından (ablative possessive second-person singular)
marslarından (ablative possessive second-person singular)
marsından (ablative possessive singular third-person)
marslarından (ablative possessive singular third-person)
marsımızdan (ablative first-person plural possessive)
marslarımızdan (ablative first-person plural possessive)
marsınızdan (ablative plural possessive second-person)
marslarınızdan (ablative plural possessive second-person)
marsından (ablative plural possessive third-person)
marslarından (ablative plural possessive third-person)
marsımın (first-person genitive possessive singular)
marslarımın (first-person genitive possessive singular)
marsının (genitive possessive second-person singular)
marslarının (genitive possessive second-person singular)
marsının (genitive possessive singular third-person)
marslarının (genitive possessive singular third-person)
marsımızın (first-person genitive plural possessive)
marslarımızın (first-person genitive plural possessive)
marsınızın (genitive plural possessive second-person)
marslarınızın (genitive plural possessive second-person)
marsının (genitive plural possessive third-person)
marslarının (genitive plural possessive third-person)

Marsdan qaçan oyunu aparar!

One who [manages to] escape the gammon will win the game!

(backgammon) gammon (a game in which one player removes all his checkers before his opponent can remove any, and counted as a double win)


board

en-noun

board (countable and uncountable, plural boards)

→ Japanese: ボード (bōdo)

From Middle English bord, from Old English bord, from Proto-West Germanic *bord, from Proto-Germanic *burdą (“board; plank; table”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerdʰ- (“to cut”). The senses "food" and "council" are by metonymy from the sense "table."

inh

non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

Each player starts the game with four counters on the board.

A flat surface with markings for playing a board game.


ace

→ Japanese: エース (ēsu)

→ Korean: 에이스 (eiseu)

→ Russian: эйс (ejs)

→ Swedish: ess

(?) → Finnish: ässä

Inherited from Middle English as, from Old French as, from Latin as, assis (“unity, copper coin, the unit of coinage”). Doublet of as. Likely related or deriving ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs, or otherwise taking from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp, pointed”) in the sense of "singular".

der

(dice games) A die face marked with a single dot, typically representing the number one.


general

en-noun

general (countable and uncountable, plural generals)

From Middle English general, in turn from Anglo-Norman general, generall, Middle French general, and their source, Latin generālis, from genus (“class, kind”) + -ālis (“-al”); thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, generic.

(xiangqi) A xiangqi piece that is moved one point orthogonally and confined within the palace.


map

Shortening or back-formation of Middle English mappemounde, mapemounde (“world map”), from Old French mapamonde, from Medieval Latin mappa mundī, compound of Latin mappa (“napkin, cloth”) and mundus (“world”). See mop for more on the first component. Doublet of mop, nape, and nappe.

I don't want to play this map again!

On top of that, each of Evolve's maps are dim, open arenas with little to interact with besides the occasional hostile organism.

2015 February 14, Steven Strom, “Evolve Review: Middle of the food chain”, in Ars Technica:

(board games, video games) An imaginary or fictional area, often predefined and confined, where a game or a session thereof takes place.


Indian

en-adj

Indian (comparative more Indian, superlative most Indian)

more Indian (comparative)
most Indian (superlative)

From Anglo-Norman indien, Middle French indien, corresponding to Ind + -ian. Applied to inhabitants of the Americas due to an early misconception that the Americas were the eastern end of Asia / the Indies (hence also the designation of Caribbean islands as the West Indies).

(chess) Designating any of various chess openings now characterised by black's attempt to control the board through knights and fianchettoed bishops rather than with a central pawn advance.


black

black (comparative blacker or more black, superlative blackest or most black)

blacker (comparative)
more black (comparative)
blackest (superlative)
most black (superlative)

Bislama: blak

Sranan Tongo: blaka

Aukan: baaka

→ Caribbean Hindustani: blaaka

Tok Pisin: blak

Torres Strait Creole: blaik

→ Dutch: black

→ French: black

→ Greek: μπλάκης (blákis)

From Middle English blak, black, blake, from Old English blæc (“black, dark", also "ink”), from Proto-West Germanic *blak, from Proto-Germanic *blakaz (“burnt”) (compare Dutch blaken (“to burn”), Low German blak, black (“blackness, black paint, (black) ink”), Old High German blah (“black”)), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleg- (“to burn, shine”) (compare Latin flagrāre (“to burn”), Ancient Greek φλόξ (phlóx, “flame”), Sanskrit भर्ग (bharga, “radiance”)).
Sense 20 is a semantic loan from Cantonese 黑面 (hak1 min6, “to pull a long face, to scowl”).

sort

of coffee or tea, without milk or other whitener

The black pieces in this chess set are made of dark blue glass.

(board games, chess) Of or relating to the playing pieces of a board game deemed to belong to the "black" set (in chess, the set used by the player who moves second) (often regardless of the pieces' actual colour).

sort

chess, checkers etc.: color opposing "white"


black

en-noun

black (countable and uncountable, plural blacks)

→ Japanese: ブラック (burakku)

→ Volapük: bläg

At this point black makes a disastrous move.

(countable, chess) The person playing with the black set of pieces.

sort

chess and similar games: person playing with the black set of pieces


gold

Borrowed from English gold, from Middle English gold, from Old English gold (“gold”), from Proto-Germanic *gulþą (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥tóm (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“yellow; gleam; to shine”).

der

(fantasy roleplaying games board games) miscellaneous unit of currency in fantasy genre


red

rȇd (canonical masculine)
ре̑д (Cyrillic)
rȇd (nominative singular)
rȅdovi (nominative plural)
rȇda (genitive singular)
rȅdōvā (genitive plural)
rȇdu (dative singular)
rȅdovima (dative plural)
rȇd (accusative singular)
rȅdove (accusative plural)
rȇde (singular vocative)
rȅdovi (plural vocative)
rȇdu (locative singular)
rȅdovima (locative plural)
rȇdom (instrumental singular)
rȅdovima (instrumental plural)


white

en-adj

white (comparative whiter or more white, superlative whitest or most white)

whiter (comparative)
more white (comparative)
whitest (superlative)
most white (superlative)

Bislama: waet

Sranan Tongo: weti

Aukan: weti

Saramaccan: wéti

Tok Pisin: wait

→ Japanese: ホワイト (howaito)

white fella

⇒ Nyunga: wadjela

white gin

⇒ Gamilaraay: waatyin

⇒ Ngiyambaa: wadjiin

⇒ Wiradjuri: waajin

Inherited from Middle English whit, hwit, from Old English hwīt, from Proto-West Germanic *hwīt, from Proto-Germanic *hwītaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweydós, a byform of *ḱweytós (“bright; shine”).
Cognates
* West Frisian wyt
*Dutch wit
* German weiß
* German weiss
* Norwegian Bokmål hvit
* Norwegian Nynorsk kvit
* Lithuanian šviẽsti (“to gleam”), šviesa (“light”)
* Old Church Slavonic свѣтъ (světŭ, “light”), свѣтьлъ (světĭlŭ, “clear, bright”)
* Persian سفید (sefid, “white”), Persian سپید (sepid, “white”)
* Avestan 𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 (spaēta, “white”)
* Sanskrit श्वेत (śvetá, “white, bright”).

cog

The white pieces in this set are in fact made of light green glass.

(board games, chess) The standard denomination of the playing pieces of a board game deemed to belong to the white set, no matter what the actual colour.

hvid

board games: deemed to belong to the white set


white

en-noun

white (countable and uncountable, plural whites)

bělásek

common name for butterflies in the subfamily Pierinae

In this position, white has an opportunity to make a good move.

(board games, chess) The person playing with the white set of pieces.

valkoinen

board games: person playing with the white pieces


tempo

Borrowed from Italian tempo, from Latin tempus (“time”). Doublet of tense.
(truck or cargo van): A genericized trademark, originally associated with the manufacturer Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke GmbH.

(chess) A move which is part of one's own plan or strategy and forces, e.g. by means of a check or attacking a piece, the opponent to make a move which is not bad but of no use (the player gains a tempo, the opponent loses a tempo), or equivalently a player achieves the same result in fewer moves by one approach rather than another.


tempo

Borrowed from Italian tempo. Doublet of tiempo.


tempo

tempo (indefinite nominative singular)
tempos (genitive indefinite singular)
tempot (definite nominative singular)
tempots (definite genitive singular)
tempon (indefinite nominative plural)
tempons (genitive indefinite plural)
tempona (definite nominative plural)
temponas (definite genitive plural)

Borrowed from Italian tempo, from Latin tempus (“time”).


king

Tok Pisin: king

desc

⇒ American Sign Language: K@Shoulder K@Abdomen

→ Burmese: ကင် (kang)

→ Isubu: kinge

→ Japanese: キング (kingu)

→ Korean: 킹 (king)

→ Maori: kingi

→ Marshallese: kiin̄

→ Thai: คิง (king)

From Middle English king, kyng, from Old English cyng, cyning (“king”), from Proto-West Germanic *kuning, from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz, *kunungaz (“king”), equivalent to kin + -ing. Doublet of cyning and knez.
Cognate with Scots keeng (“king”), North Frisian köning (“king”), West Frisian kening (“king”), Dutch koning (“king”), Low German Koning, Köning (“king”), German König (“king”), Danish konge (“king”), Norwegian konge, Swedish konung, kung (“king”), Icelandic konungur, kóngur (“king”), Polish ksiądz (“priest”), Russian князь (knjazʹ, “prince”), Old Church Slavonic кънѧѕь (kŭnędzĭ), Romanian chinez, Finnish kuningas (“king”), Estonian kuningas, Ingrian kunigas, Karelian kuninkas, Livvi kuńingas, Ludian kuńingas, Veps kuningaz, Võro kuning and Votic kunikaz. Eclipsed non-native Middle English roy (“king”) (Early Modern English roy), borrowed from Old French roi, rei, rai (“king”).
The verb is inherited from Middle English kyngen, *kingen (“To perform the duties of a king”), itself from the noun king, kyng.

Audio — the king

акрал

a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

(chess) The principal chess piece, that players seek to threaten with unavoidable capture to result in a victory by checkmate. It is often the tallest piece, with a symbolic crown with a cross at the top.


king

head

king (nominative plural kinges, also the early forms kingas or kingæs)

kinges (nominative plural)
the early forms kingas (also)
kingæs (also)

English: king (see there for further descendants)

Scots: keeng, king

Yola: kinge, king

Inherited from the Old English cyning, from Proto-West Germanic *kuning, from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz. The forms kug (attested in the compounds kugdom, kuglond, and kugriche) and gug (attested in the compound guglond) show the influence of the Old Norse konungr, whence they borrow their root vowel. The early forms featuring syncope (chinge, chinȝ, cing, and cinȝ) may have long ī.


queen

Tok Pisin: kwin

desc

⇒ American Sign Language: G@Shoulder-PalmDown G@Abdomen-PalmDown

→ Burmese: ကွင်း (kwang:)

→ German: Queen

→ Japanese: クイーン (kuīn), クィーン (kwīn)

→ Korean: 퀸 (kwin)

→ Marshallese: kwiin

→ Sikaiana: kuini

→ Spanish: cuina

→ Thai: ควีน (kwiin)

From Middle English quene, queen, cwen, from Old English cwēn (“queen”), from Proto-West Germanic *kwāni, from Proto-Germanic *kwēniz (“woman”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷénh₂s (“woman”).
Cognate with Scots queen, wheen (“queen”), Old Saxon quān ("wife"; > Middle Low German quene (“elderly woman”)), Dutch kween (“woman past child-bearing age”), Swedish kvinna (“woman”), Norwegian kvinne (“woman”), Danish kvinde (“woman”), Icelandic kvon (“wife”), Gothic 𐌵𐌴𐌽𐍃 (qēns, “wife”), Norwegian dialectal kvån (“wife”). Related to and possibly merged with and/or absorbed some senses of English quean, from Middle English quene, from Old English cwene (“woman; female serf, quean”), see quean. Generally eclipsed non-native Middle English regina (“queen”), borrowed from Latin rēgīna (“queen”) (see Modern English regina). Doublet of quean and gyne.

gloss

"wife"; > Middle Low German <i class="Latn mention" lang="gml">quene</i> (“elderly woman”)

cog

Holonym: chess set

For this cauſe that when he [the pawn] can procede so well in warre, as to arriue at the laſte rancke of hys enemies, he is choſen and made the beſt piece of the playe, to wit, he is the Quene.

1562, Damiano da Odemira, translated by Iames Rowbothum, The Pleasaunt and Wittie Playe of the Cheasts Renewed, with Instructions Both to Learne It Easely, and to Play It Well, London, page A7v:

And, further, let us ſuppoſe, that your King is at Liberty to attack his Pawns upon one Side of the Board, by reckoning how many moves it will take your King to march and take thoſe two Pawns, and alſo, by adding the Number of Moves, which will be neceſſary for you to make a Queen with one of your Pawns: You will, by this Method, find out the exact number of Moves, before you can make a Queen.

1761, Edmond Hoyle, An Essay Towards Making the Game of Chess Easily Learned, London, retrieved 2022-01-13, page 51:

Referring to one of several items used in tabletop games:

(chess) A chess piece that, under contemporary rules, is the most powerful, able to move any number of spaces horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.


queen

en-verb

queen (third-person singular simple present queens, present participle queening, simple past and past participle queened)

queens (present singular third-person)
queening (participle present)
queened (participle past)
queened (past)

Neither King will be able to stop the opponent's pawns from queening, when the game should be a draw. In such cases, which side queens first, or queens with check, can make a crucial difference. In this case, White promotes his pawn first and is able to put this advantage to good use.

2003, Yasser Seirawan, Winning Chess Endings, London: Everyman Chess, →ISBN, page 39:


midnight

en-noun

midnight (countable and uncountable, plural midnights)

[ˈmɪd̚ˌnɐɪt]

From Middle English midnight, from Old English midniht, from Proto-Germanic *midjanahts (“midnight”), equivalent to mid- + night. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Midnoacht (“midnight”), Old High German mittinaht (“midnight”), Danish midnat (“midnight”), Swedish midnatt (“midnight”), Icelandic miðnætti (“midnight”). Compare also Saterland Frisian Middernoacht (“midnight”), Dutch middernacht (“midnight”), German Mitternacht (“midnight”).

cog

(dice games) Synonym of boxcars (“a pair of sixes”)


deuce

From Middle English dewes (“two”), from Anglo-Norman, from Old French deus, from Latin duo. The word was used by Ford to describe a model of car they made in 1932 due to it being a two-seater.

(dice games) A side of a die with two spots.

(dice games) A cast of dice totalling two.


chess

en-noun

chess (usually uncountable, plural chesses)

From Middle English ches, chesse, from Old French eschés, plural of eschec, from Medieval Latin scaccus, from Arabic شَاه (šāh, “king [in chess]”), from Classical Persian شاه (šāh, “shah, king”), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (mlkʾ /šāh/), from Old Persian 𐏋 (XŠ /xšāyaθiya/).
Compare German Schach and Italian scacchi. Compare French échecs (“chess”) and its descendants: Catalan escacs and Dutch schaak. More at check and shah (“king of Persia or Iran”).

der

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.

象棋

generic, which includes various varieties of chess

ludus scacchorum (in a Medieval Manuscript: ludus schacorum)


chess

Uncertain; perhaps linked to Etymology 1, above, from the sense of being arranged in rows or lines.

Hobbled, loudly gourmandizing the dry chess grass, they were guarded by a pair of dismounted soldiers in long, dusty coats [...].

2007, Michael Chabon, Gentlemen of the Road, Sceptre, published 2008, page 59:

(now chiefly US) Any of several species of grass in the genus Bromus, generally considered weeds.


chess

Compare French châssis (“a framework of carpentry”).

cog

the balks are laid and covered with chesses to within 1 foot of the trestle

1881, Thomas Wilhelm, A Military Dictionary and Gazetteer:

ach chess consists of three planks.

1885, Edward S. Farrow, Farrow's Military Encyclopedia; A Dictionary of Military Knowledge:

(military, chiefly in the plural) One of the platforms, consisting of two or more planks dowelled together, for the flooring of a temporary military bridge.


knight

From Middle English knight, knyght, kniht, from Old English cniht (“boy; servant, knight”), from Proto-West Germanic *kneht.

inh

(chess) A chess piece, often in the shape of a horse's head, that is moved two squares in one direction and one at right angles to that direction in a single move, leaping over any intervening pieces.


knight

en-verb

knight (third-person singular simple present knights, present participle knighting, simple past and past participle knighted)

knights (present singular third-person)
knighting (participle present)
knighted (participle past)
knighted (past)

From Middle English knighten, kniȝten, from the noun. Cognate with Middle High German knehten.

(chess, transitive) To promote (a pawn) to a knight.


at

az-noun

at (definite accusative atı, plural atlar)

atı (accusative definite)
atlar (plural)
at (nominative singular)
atlar (nominative plural)
atı (accusative definite singular)
atları (accusative definite plural)
ata (dative singular)
atlara (dative plural)
atda (locative singular)
atlarda (locative plural)
atdan (ablative singular)
atlardan (ablative plural)
atın (definite genitive singular)
atların (definite genitive plural)
atım (first-person nominative possessive singular)
atlarım (first-person nominative possessive singular)
atın (nominative possessive second-person singular)
atların (nominative possessive second-person singular)
atı (nominative possessive singular third-person)
atları (nominative possessive singular third-person)
atımız (first-person nominative plural possessive)
atlarımız (first-person nominative plural possessive)
atınız (nominative plural possessive second-person)
atlarınız (nominative plural possessive second-person)
atı (nominative plural possessive third-person)
atları (nominative plural possessive third-person)
atımı (accusative first-person possessive singular)
atlarımı (accusative first-person possessive singular)
atını (accusative possessive second-person singular)
atlarını (accusative possessive second-person singular)
atını (accusative possessive singular third-person)
atlarını (accusative possessive singular third-person)
atımızı (accusative first-person plural possessive)
atlarımızı (accusative first-person plural possessive)
atınızı (accusative plural possessive second-person)
atlarınızı (accusative plural possessive second-person)
atını (accusative plural possessive third-person)
atlarını (accusative plural possessive third-person)
atıma (dative first-person possessive singular)
atlarıma (dative first-person possessive singular)
atına (dative possessive second-person singular)
atlarına (dative possessive second-person singular)
atına (dative possessive singular third-person)
atlarına (dative possessive singular third-person)
atımıza (dative first-person plural possessive)
atlarımıza (dative first-person plural possessive)
atınıza (dative plural possessive second-person)
atlarınıza (dative plural possessive second-person)
atına (dative plural possessive third-person)
atlarına (dative plural possessive third-person)
atımda (first-person locative possessive singular)
atlarımda (first-person locative possessive singular)
atında (locative possessive second-person singular)
atlarında (locative possessive second-person singular)
atında (locative possessive singular third-person)
atlarında (locative possessive singular third-person)
atımızda (first-person locative plural possessive)
atlarımızda (first-person locative plural possessive)
atınızda (locative plural possessive second-person)
atlarınızda (locative plural possessive second-person)
atında (locative plural possessive third-person)
atlarında (locative plural possessive third-person)
atımdan (ablative first-person possessive singular)
atlarımdan (ablative first-person possessive singular)
atından (ablative possessive second-person singular)
atlarından (ablative possessive second-person singular)
atından (ablative possessive singular third-person)
atlarından (ablative possessive singular third-person)
atımızdan (ablative first-person plural possessive)
atlarımızdan (ablative first-person plural possessive)
atınızdan (ablative plural possessive second-person)
atlarınızdan (ablative plural possessive second-person)
atından (ablative plural possessive third-person)
atlarından (ablative plural possessive third-person)
atımın (first-person genitive possessive singular)
atlarımın (first-person genitive possessive singular)
atının (genitive possessive second-person singular)
atlarının (genitive possessive second-person singular)
atının (genitive possessive singular third-person)
atlarının (genitive possessive singular third-person)
atımızın (first-person genitive plural possessive)
atlarımızın (first-person genitive plural possessive)
atınızın (genitive plural possessive second-person)
atlarınızın (genitive plural possessive second-person)
atının (genitive plural possessive third-person)
atlarının (genitive plural possessive third-person)


at

atı (accusative definite)
atlar (plural)
at (nominative singular)
atlar (nominative plural)
atı (accusative definite singular)
atları (accusative definite plural)
ata (dative singular)
atlara (dative plural)
atta (locative singular)
atlarda (locative plural)
attan (ablative singular)
atlardan (ablative plural)
atın (genitive singular)
atların (genitive plural)
atım (first-person nominative singular)
atlarım (first-person nominative singular)
atın (nominative second-person singular)
atların (nominative second-person singular)
atı (nominative singular third-person)
atları (nominative singular third-person)
atımız (first-person nominative plural)
atlarımız (first-person nominative plural)
atınız (nominative plural second-person)
atlarınız (nominative plural second-person)
atları (nominative plural third-person)
atımı (accusative definite first-person singular)
atlarımı (accusative definite first-person singular)
atını (accusative definite second-person singular)
atlarını (accusative definite second-person singular)
atını (accusative definite singular third-person)
atlarını (accusative definite singular third-person)
atımızı (accusative definite first-person plural)
atlarımızı (accusative definite first-person plural)
atınızı (accusative definite plural second-person)
atlarınızı (accusative definite plural second-person)
atlarını (accusative definite plural third-person)
atıma (dative first-person singular)
atlarıma (dative first-person singular)
atına (dative second-person singular)
atlarına (dative second-person singular)
atına (dative singular third-person)
atlarına (dative singular third-person)
atımıza (dative first-person plural)
atlarımıza (dative first-person plural)
atınıza (dative plural second-person)
atlarınıza (dative plural second-person)
atlarına (dative plural third-person)
atımda (first-person locative singular)
atlarımda (first-person locative singular)
atında (locative second-person singular)
atlarında (locative second-person singular)
atında (locative singular third-person)
atlarında (locative singular third-person)
atımızda (first-person locative plural)
atlarımızda (first-person locative plural)
atınızda (locative plural second-person)
atlarınızda (locative plural second-person)
atlarında (locative plural third-person)
atımdan (ablative first-person singular)
atlarımdan (ablative first-person singular)
atından (ablative second-person singular)
atlarından (ablative second-person singular)
atından (ablative singular third-person)
atlarından (ablative singular third-person)
atımızdan (ablative first-person plural)
atlarımızdan (ablative first-person plural)
atınızdan (ablative plural second-person)
atlarınızdan (ablative plural second-person)
atlarından (ablative plural third-person)
atımın (first-person genitive singular)
atlarımın (first-person genitive singular)
atının (genitive second-person singular)
atlarının (genitive second-person singular)
atının (genitive singular third-person)
atlarının (genitive singular third-person)
atımızın (first-person genitive plural)
atlarımızın (first-person genitive plural)
atınızın (genitive plural second-person)
atlarınızın (genitive plural second-person)
atlarının (genitive plural third-person)
atım (first-person singular)
atlarım (first-person singular)
atsın (second-person singular)
atlarsın (second-person singular)
at (singular third-person)
attır (singular third-person)
atlar (singular third-person)
atlardır (singular third-person)
atız (first-person plural)
atlarız (first-person plural)
atsınız (plural second-person)
atlarsınız (plural second-person)
atlar (plural third-person)
atlardır (plural third-person)

From Ottoman Turkish آت (at, “horse”), from Proto-Turkic *at, *ăt (“horse”). Cognate with Karakhanid اَتْ (at, “horse”), Old Turkic 𐱃 (t¹ /at/, “horse”).

at bulunur meydan bulunmaz, meydan bulunur at bulunmaz

at çalındıktan sonra ahırın kapısını kapamak


as

English: ace (see there for further descendants)

Scots: ace

From Old French as (“ace”), from Latin as, assis (“as (Roman coin)”).

(dice games) The lowest possible throw in dice.


boom

en-verb

boom (third-person singular simple present booms, present participle booming, simple past and past participle boomed)

booms (present singular third-person)
booming (participle present)
boomed (participle past)
boomed (past)

Onomatopoeic, perhaps borrowed; compare German bummen, Dutch bommen (“to hum, buzz”). The sense "a period of economic growth" is generally taken to derive from the sense "a rapid expansion", although other origins have also been suggested.

It can get fast enough that it's hard to see what flashed on your screen though, so it would be nice if chess engines had a feature of persistently showing you what move they planned to play before they boomed, even if it took less than a second for them to figure it out.

2021 January 23, Bram Cohen, “You're doing computer chess game commentary wrong”, in Medium, archived from the original on 2022-12-06:

In its White game Stockfish had various moments of booming during these long thinks, but these long thinks always ended disappointingly in a slightly lower evaluation than it started with.

2022 April 22, Matthew Sadler, “TCEC Season 22 SuperFinal: Komodo Dragon vs Stockfish”, in TCEC, archived from the original on 2022-12-13:

(computer chess, slang) To rapidly adjust the evaluation of a position away from zero, indicating a likely win or loss.


boom

→ German: Boom

Indonesian: bum

→ Japanese: ブーム (būmu)

→ Polish: boom

→ Russian: бум (bum)

Some chess commentators know to excitedly point out when booms happen but they almost universally are missing out on the next step of explaining what the boom meant.

The evaluation boom and moob continued as Stockfish headed for a queen-rook-knight vs queen-rook-knight position that looked pretty nasty to me!

(computer chess, slang) An instance of booming.


quadruple

Ce tirage permettait plusieurs quadruples.

J’ai perdu une douzaine de points sur un difficile "mosaique" en quadruple.

I lost a dozen points on a difficult quadruple "mosaic".

(Scrabble) a move whose score is multiplied by four

Le quadruple en colonne 5 reste ouvert avec la séquence "ena" ou "ene".

The quadruple on column 5 remains open with the sequence "ena" or "ene".

(Scrabble) the area on the board where such a move is possible


flower

Unadapted borrowing from English flower.

(mahjong) act of declaring and revealing a flower or season tile and in order drawing a replacement tile


male

male (genitive)
malet (partitive)
male (nominative singular)
maled (nominative plural)
male (accusative nominative singular)
maled (accusative nominative plural)
male (accusative genitive singular)
maled (accusative genitive plural)
male (genitive singular)
malede (genitive plural)
malet (partitive singular)
malesid (partitive plural)
malle (illative singular)
malesse (illative singular)
maledesse (illative plural)
males (inessive singular)
maledes (inessive plural)
malest (elative singular)
maledest (elative plural)
malele (allative singular)
maledele (allative plural)
malel (adessive singular)
maledel (adessive plural)
malelt (ablative singular)
maledelt (ablative plural)
maleks (singular translative)
maledeks (plural translative)
maleni (singular terminative)
maledeni (plural terminative)
malena (essive singular)
maledena (essive plural)
maleta (abessive singular)
maledeta (abessive plural)
malega (comitative singular)
maledega (comitative plural)

From malev (“army”), a word attested in the 13th century Livonian Chronicle of Henry. Coined by Ado Grenzstein in the 19th century.


hole

→ Japanese: ホール (hōru)

→ Korean: 홀 (hol)

Sranan Tongo: olo

Inherited from Middle English hole, hol, from Old English hol (“orifice, hollow place, cavity”), from Proto-West Germanic *hol, from Proto-Germanic *hulą (“hollow space, cavity”), noun derivative of Proto-Germanic *hulaz (“hollow”), which is of uncertain ultimate origin. Related to hollow.

отвор

orifice (see anus etc. for specific body cavities)

know one's ass from a hole in the ground

know one's head from a hole in the ground

know the difference between one's ass and a hole in the ground

(chess) A square on the board, with some positional significance, that a player does not, and cannot in the future, control with a friendly pawn.


wood

en-noun

wood (countable and uncountable, plural woods)

Sranan Tongo: udu

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From Middle English wode, from Old English wudu, widu (“wood, forest, grove; tree; timber”), from Proto-West Germanic *widu, from Proto-Germanic *widuz (“wood”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- (“to separate”).
Cognate with Dutch wede (“wood, twig”), Middle High German wite (“wood”), Danish ved (“wood”), Swedish ved (“firewood”), Icelandic viður (“wood”). Further cognates include Irish fiodh (“a wood, tree”), Irish fid (“tree”) and Welsh gwŷdd (“trees”); all from Proto-Celtic *widus (“wood”). Unrelated to Dutch woud (“forest”), German Wald (“forest”) (see English wold).

der

[…] White has nothing but a lot of frozen wood on the board while Black operates on the Q-side.

1971, Chess Life & Review, volume 26, page 309:

(chess, uncountable, slang) Chess pieces.


finale

(chess) endgame, end game (moment in the game when the threat of checkmate is low and the kings participate in the struggle)


turtle

en-verb

turtle (third-person singular simple present turtles, present participle turtling, simple past and past participle turtled)

turtles (present singular third-person)
turtling (participle present)
turtled (participle past)
turtled (past)

Modification of Middle English tortou, tortu, from Old French tortüe (under the influence of Middle English turtel, turtur (“turtledove”), see Etymology 2 below), from Medieval Latin tortuca (compare Spanish tortuga), the same source of tortoise (see there for more). Displaced native Old English byrdling.

(video games, board games) To build up a large defense force and strike only occasionally, rather than going for an offensive strategy.


retreat

From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract, retrait, and ritratto.

doublet

(chess) The move of a piece from a threatened position.


alo

eo-head

alo (accusative singular alon, plural aloj, accusative plural alojn)

alon (accusative singular)
aloj (plural)
alojn (accusative plural)

(chess) flank, wing (left or right side of the chessboard)


CM

en-noun

CM (countable and uncountable, plural CMs)

Sense "commercial" is a borrowing from Japanese CM (CM, “promotional video”), from English commercial + message.


eye

eye (plural eyes or (archaic or dialectal) eyen or (archaic) eyne)

eyes (plural)
eyen (archaic dialectal plural)
eyne (archaic plural)

Sranan Tongo: ai

From Middle English eye, eie, yë, eighe, eyghe, yȝe, eyȝe, from Old English ēage (“eye”), from Proto-West Germanic *augā, from Proto-Germanic *augô (“eye”) (compare Scots ee, West Frisian each, Dutch oog, German Auge, Danish øje, Norwegian Bokmål øye, Norwegian Nynorsk auga, Swedish öga), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃okʷ-, *h₃ekʷ- (“eye; to see”).
Other Indo-European cognates include Latin oculus (whence English oculus), Lithuanian akìs, Old Church Slavonic око (oko), Albanian sy, Ancient Greek ὄψ (óps, “(poetic) eye; face”) and ὄσσε (ósse, “eyes”), Armenian ակն (akn), Avestan 𐬀𐬱𐬌 (aši, “eyes”), Sanskrit अक्षि (ákṣi). Related to ogle.
The uncommon plural form eyen is from Middle English eyen, from Old English ēaġan, nominative and accusative plural of ēaġe (“eye”).

cog

an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind

better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick

better than a poke in the eye with a rusty nail

better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick

better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick

eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God

it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye

(go) An empty point or group of points surrounded by one player's stones.


piece

Belizean Creole: pees

Sranan Tongo: pisi

→ Finnish: biisi

→ Irish: píosa

→ Japanese: ピース (pīsu)

→ Scottish Gaelic: pìos

From Middle English pece, peece, peice, from Old French piece, from Late Latin petia, pettia, possibly from Gaulish *pettyā, from Proto-Celtic *kʷezdis (“piece, portion, quota”); doublet of English fit, fytte, fytt (“musical piece, chapter”), Icelandic fit (“web”), German Fitze (“skein”), from Old High German *fitjâ. Compare Welsh peth, Breton pez (“thing”), Irish cuid. Compare French pièce, Portuguese peça, Spanish pieza, Italian pezza, Italian pezzo.

der

Pawns, unlike pieces, move only in one direction: forward.

1959, Hans Kmoch, Pawn Power in Chess, section I:

(chess) One of the figures used in playing chess, specifically a higher-value figure as distinguished from a pawn; by extension, a similar counter etc. in other games.

قِطْعَة

chess: figure other than pawn; similar counter in other games

Offizier

An amount of work to be done at one time; a unit of piece work.


read

en-verb

read (third-person singular simple present reads, present participle reading, simple past read, past participle read or (archaic, dialectal) readen)

reads (present singular third-person)
reading (participle present)
read (past)
read (participle past)
readen (archaic dialectal participle past)
read (infinitive)

From Middle English reden, from Old English rǣdan (“to counsel, advise, consult; interpret, read”), from Proto-West Germanic *rādan, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaną (“advise, counsel”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ- (“to arrange”).
Cognate with Scots rede, red (“to advise, counsel, decipher, read”), Saterland Frisian räide (“to advise, counsel”), West Frisian riede (“to advise, counsel”), Dutch raden (“to advise; guess”), German raten (“to advise; guess”), Danish råde (“to advise”), Swedish råda (“to advise, counsel”), Persian رده (rade, “to order, to arrange, class”). In West Germanic the verb had a sense “interpret”, which developed further into “interpret letters” in English and “interpret by intuition, guess” on the continent. Compare rede.

lees

to look at and interpret letters or other information

olvasd

to substitute (a corrected piece of text in place of an erroneous one); used to introduce an emendation of a text

(go) To imagine sequences of potential moves and responses without actually placing stones.


re

→ Maltese: re

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ-
Proto-Indo-European *-s
Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs
Proto-Italic *rēks
Latin rēx
Italian re
Inherited from Latin rēx, via the nominative singular, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“ruler, king”). Doublet of rege, which was borrowed from Latin via the accusative rēgem.


re

Borrowed from Sicilian re and/or Italian re, from Latin rēx.


wieża

wieżyczka (diminutive)
wieża (nominative singular)
wieże (nominative plural)
wieży (genitive singular)
wież (genitive plural)
wieży (dative singular)
wieżom (dative plural)
wieżę (accusative singular)
wieże (accusative plural)
wieżą (instrumental singular)
wieżami (instrumental plural)
wieży (locative singular)
wieżach (locative plural)
wieżo (singular vocative)
wieże (plural vocative)

Inherited from Old Polish wieża, from Proto-Slavic *věža.


regina

→ Maltese: reġina

Inherited from Latin rēgīna; cognate with Spanish reina.


regina

la-noun

rēgīna f (genitive rēgīnae, masculine rēx); first declension

rēgīna (canonical feminine)
rēgīnae (genitive)
rēx (masculine)
rēgīna (nominative singular)
rēgīnae (nominative plural)
rēgīnae (genitive singular)
rēgīnārum (genitive plural)
rēgīnae (dative singular)
rēgīnīs (dative plural)
rēgīnam (accusative singular)
rēgīnās (accusative plural)
rēgīnā (ablative singular)
rēgīnīs (ablative plural)
rēgīna (singular vocative)
rēgīnae (plural vocative)

Asturian: reina

Franco-Provençal: rêna

Friulian: reìne

Italian: regina
→ Maltese: reġina

Neapolitan: riggina

desctree

Old French: royne
French: reine
Norman: royne, ranne, reine
Walloon: royinne
→ Old East Slavic: ръ́ина (rŷ́ina)

Old Galician-Portuguese: reinha, reỹa, reynna, reýña, reyña, rreýña, rreyña, rainha, raynna, raỹa, rayña
Galician: raíña
Portuguese: rainha

Old Occitan: reina
Occitan: reina

Old Spanish: reyna
Spanish: reina (see there for further descendants)

Romansch: regina, rigegna, raïna

Sardinian: reina, arreina

desc

Sicilian: rijina (obsolete), riggina (influenced by Italian)

Venetan: rexina

Walloon: royinne

→ Basque: erregina

→ English: Regina, regina

→ Interlingua: regina

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: regina

→ Romanian: regină

→ Translingual: Regina

Inherited from Proto-Italic *rēgīnā, see there for more. A feminine counterpart to rēx, rēgis (“king”).


mapa

Borrowed from Latin mappa (“napkin”), from Punic [Term?].

(video games, board games) an environment where a game is played


rail

→ Catalan: rail

→ Dutch: rail

→ French: rail

→ Japanese: レール (rēru)

→ Punjabi: ਰੇਲ (rel)

→ Spanish: raíl

→ Swahili: reli

→ Tibetan: རི་ལི (ri li, “train”)

From Middle English rail, rayl, *reȝel, *reȝol (found in reȝolsticke (“a ruler”)), partly from Old English regol (“a ruler, straight bar”) and partly from Old French reille; both from Latin regula (“rule, bar”), from regō (“to rule, to guide, to govern”); see regular. Doublet of regal, regula, rigol, and rule.

doublet

(backgammon) The raised edge of the game board.


pin

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: pins

→ Polish: pin

→ Spanish: pin

→ Swahili: pini

→ Swedish: pin, pins

From Middle English pinne, from Old English pinn (“pin, peg, bolt”), from Proto-Germanic *pinnaz, *pinnō, *pint- (“protruding point, peak, peg, pin, nail”), from Proto-Indo-European *bend- (“protruding object, pointed peg, nail, edge”). Related to pen (“enclosure”).
Cognate with Dutch pin (“peg, pin”), Low German pin, pinne (“pin, point, nail, peg”), German Pinn, Pinne (“pin, tack, peg”), Bavarian Pfonzer, Pfunzer (“sharpened point”), Danish pind (“pin, pointed stick”), Norwegian pinn (“stick”), Swedish pinne (“peg, rod, stick”), Icelandic pinni (“pin”). More at pintle.
No relation to classical Latin pinna (“fin, flipper, wing-like appendage, wing, feather”), which was extended to mean "ridge, peak, point" (compare pinnacle), and often confused with Latin penna (“wing, feather”). More at feather and pen (Etymology 3).

cog

(chess) Either a scenario in which moving a lesser piece to escape from attack would expose a more valuable piece to being taken instead, or one where moving a piece is impossible as it would place the king in check.


pin

en-verb

pin (third-person singular simple present pins, present participle pinning, simple past and past participle pinned)

pins (present singular third-person)
pinning (participle present)
pinned (participle past)
pinned (past)

(chess, usually passive voice) To cause (a piece) to be in a pin.

(backgammon) To move a piece onto a blot, preventing the piece from further movement.


lead

lead (third-person singular simple present leads, present participle leading, simple past and past participle led)

leads (present singular third-person)
leading (participle present)
led (participle past)
led (past)

From Middle English leden, from Old English lǣdan (“to lead”), from Proto-West Germanic *laidijan, from Proto-Germanic *laidijaną (“to cause one to go, lead”), causative of Proto-Germanic *līþaną (“to go”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyt- (“to leave, die”).
Cognate with West Frisian liede (“to lead”), Dutch leiden (“to lead”), German leiten (“to lead”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål lede (“to lead”), Norwegian Nynorsk leia (“to lead”), Swedish leda (“to lead”). Related to Old English līþan (“to go, travel”).

der

to lead trumps

He led the ace of spades.

(transitive, card games, dominoes) To begin a game, round, or trick, with

To begin, to be ahead.
To begin a game, round, or trick, with


lead

en-noun

lead (countable and uncountable, plural leads)

your partner has the lead

(uncountable, card games, dominoes) The act or right of playing first in a game or round; the card suit, or piece, so played


bind

bind (countable and uncountable, plural binds)

From Middle English binden, from Old English bindan, from Proto-West Germanic *bindan, from Proto-Germanic *bindaną (compare West Frisian bine, Dutch binden, Low German binnen, German binden, Danish binde), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéndʰ-e-ti, from *bʰendʰ- (“to tie”).
Compare Welsh ben (“cart”), Latin offendīx (“knot, band”), Lithuanian beñdras (“partner”), Albanian bind (“to convince, to awe, to spell”), Ancient Greek πεῖσμα (peîsma, “cable, rope”), Persian بستن (bastan, “to bind”), Sanskrit बन्धति (bándhati). Doublet of bandana.

cog

the Maróczy Bind

(chess, countable) A strong grip or stranglehold on a position, which is difficult for the opponent to break.


break

en-verb

break (third-person singular simple present breaks, present participle breaking, simple past broke or (archaic) brake, past participle broken or (nonstandard) broke)

breaks (present singular third-person)
breaking (participle present)
broke (past)
brake (archaic past)
broken (participle past)
broke (nonstandard participle past)
break (infinitive)

From Middle English breken, from Old English brecan (“to break”), from Proto-West Germanic *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”). The word is a doublet of bray.
Cognates
Cognates of Germanic origin include Scots brek (“to break”), West Frisian brekke (“to break”), Dutch breken (“to break”), Low German breken (“to break”), German brechen (“to break”), French broyer (“to crush, grind”), Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan, “to break, destroy”), Norwegian brek (“desire, yearning”).
Also cognate with Albanian brishtë (“fragile”), Latin frangō (“break, break up, shatter”, verb), whence English fracture and other terms – fragile, frail, fraction, and fragment.

breek

intransitive: to separate into (to end up in) two or more pieces

thyen

transitive: to separate into (to cause to end up in) two or more pieces

sındırmaq

to cause a person to lose spirit or will

խախտել

transitive: to do that which is forbidden by (something)

փչանալ

intransitive: to stop functioning properly or altogether

ջարդել

transitive: to cause to stop functioning

burst

ergative: separate into two or more pieces

contravene

transitive: do that which is forbidden by

break one's arm patting oneself on the back

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs

(transitive, backgammon) To remove one of the two men on (a point).


bust

en-verb

bust (third-person singular simple present busts, present participle busting, simple past and past participle busted or bust)

busts (present singular third-person)
busting (participle present)
busted (participle past)
busted (past)
bust (participle past)
bust (past)

From Middle English busten, a variant of Middle English bursten, bresten (“to burst”). Compare German Low German basten and barsten (“to burst”). More at burst.

So is the King's Gambit really busted?

2012 April 2, Frederic Friedel, “Rajlich: Busting the King's Gambit, this time for sure”, in ChessBase:

(chess, slang) To refute an established opening.


bust

(chess, slang) A refutation of an opening, or of a previously published analysis.


go

From Japanese 碁(ご) (go), one character of the game's more usual Japanese name 囲碁(いご) (igo), from Chinese 圍棋 /围棋 (wéiqí).

(board games) A strategic board game, originally from China and today also popular in Japan and Korea, in which two players (black and white) attempt to control the largest area of the board with their counters.


go

go (nominative singular)
got (nominative plural)
go (accusative nominative singular)
got (accusative nominative plural)
gon (accusative genitive singular)
got (accusative genitive plural)
gon (genitive singular)
goiden (genitive plural)
goitten (genitive plural)
gota (partitive singular)
goita (partitive plural)
gossa (inessive singular)
goissa (inessive plural)
gosta (elative singular)
goista (elative plural)
gohon (illative singular)
goihin (illative plural)
golla (adessive singular)
goilla (adessive plural)
golta (ablative singular)
goilta (ablative plural)
golle (allative singular)
goille (allative plural)
gona (essive singular)
goina (essive plural)
goksi (singular translative)
goiksi (plural translative)
gotta (abessive singular)
goitta (abessive plural)
goin (instructive plural)
See the possessive forms below. (comitative)
goni (nominative singular)
goni (nominative plural)
goni (accusative nominative singular)
goni (accusative nominative plural)
goni (accusative genitive singular)
goni (accusative genitive plural)
goni (genitive singular)
goideni (genitive plural)
goitteni (genitive plural)
gotani (partitive singular)
goitani (partitive plural)
gossani (inessive singular)
goissani (inessive plural)
gostani (elative singular)
goistani (elative plural)
gohoni (illative singular)
goihini (illative plural)
gollani (adessive singular)
goillani (adessive plural)
goltani (ablative singular)
goiltani (ablative plural)
golleni (allative singular)
goilleni (allative plural)
gonani (essive singular)
goinani (essive plural)
gokseni (singular translative)
goikseni (plural translative)
gottani (abessive singular)
goittani (abessive plural)
goineni (comitative plural)
gosi (nominative singular)
gosi (nominative plural)
gosi (accusative nominative singular)
gosi (accusative nominative plural)
gosi (accusative genitive singular)
gosi (accusative genitive plural)
gosi (genitive singular)
goidesi (genitive plural)
goittesi (genitive plural)
gotasi (partitive singular)
goitasi (partitive plural)
gossasi (inessive singular)
goissasi (inessive plural)
gostasi (elative singular)
goistasi (elative plural)
gohosi (illative singular)
goihisi (illative plural)
gollasi (adessive singular)
goillasi (adessive plural)
goltasi (ablative singular)
goiltasi (ablative plural)
gollesi (allative singular)
goillesi (allative plural)
gonasi (essive singular)
goinasi (essive plural)
goksesi (singular translative)
goiksesi (plural translative)
gottasi (abessive singular)
goittasi (abessive plural)
goinesi (comitative plural)
gomme (nominative singular)
gomme (nominative plural)
gomme (accusative nominative singular)
gomme (accusative nominative plural)
gomme (accusative genitive singular)
gomme (accusative genitive plural)
gomme (genitive singular)
goidemme (genitive plural)
goittemme (genitive plural)
gotamme (partitive singular)
goitamme (partitive plural)
gossamme (inessive singular)
goissamme (inessive plural)
gostamme (elative singular)
goistamme (elative plural)
gohomme (illative singular)
goihimme (illative plural)
gollamme (adessive singular)
goillamme (adessive plural)
goltamme (ablative singular)
goiltamme (ablative plural)
gollemme (allative singular)
goillemme (allative plural)
gonamme (essive singular)
goinamme (essive plural)
goksemme (singular translative)
goiksemme (plural translative)
gottamme (abessive singular)
goittamme (abessive plural)
goinemme (comitative plural)
gonne (nominative singular)
gonne (nominative plural)
gonne (accusative nominative singular)
gonne (accusative nominative plural)
gonne (accusative genitive singular)
gonne (accusative genitive plural)
gonne (genitive singular)
goidenne (genitive plural)
goittenne (genitive plural)
gotanne (partitive singular)
goitanne (partitive plural)
gossanne (inessive singular)
goissanne (inessive plural)
gostanne (elative singular)
goistanne (elative plural)
gohonne (illative singular)
goihinne (illative plural)
gollanne (adessive singular)
goillanne (adessive plural)
goltanne (ablative singular)
goiltanne (ablative plural)
gollenne (allative singular)
goillenne (allative plural)
gonanne (essive singular)
goinanne (essive plural)
goksenne (singular translative)
goiksenne (plural translative)
gottanne (abessive singular)
goittanne (abessive plural)
goinenne (comitative plural)
gonsa (nominative singular)
gonsa (nominative plural)
gonsa (accusative nominative singular)
gonsa (accusative nominative plural)
gonsa (accusative genitive singular)
gonsa (accusative genitive plural)
gonsa (genitive singular)
goidensa (genitive plural)
goittensa (genitive plural)
gotaan (partitive singular)
gotansa (partitive singular)
goitaan (partitive plural)
goitansa (partitive plural)
gossaan (inessive singular)
gossansa (inessive singular)
goissaan (inessive plural)
goissansa (inessive plural)
gostaan (elative singular)
gostansa (elative singular)
goistaan (elative plural)
goistansa (elative plural)
gohonsa (illative singular)
goihinsa (illative plural)
gollaan (adessive singular)
gollansa (adessive singular)
goillaan (adessive plural)
goillansa (adessive plural)
goltaan (ablative singular)
goltansa (ablative singular)
goiltaan (ablative plural)
goiltansa (ablative plural)
golleen (allative singular)
gollensa (allative singular)
goilleen (allative plural)
goillensa (allative plural)
gonaan (essive singular)
gonansa (essive singular)
goinaan (essive plural)
goinansa (essive plural)
gokseen (singular translative)
goksensa (singular translative)
goikseen (plural translative)
goiksensa (plural translative)
gottaan (abessive singular)
gottansa (abessive singular)
goittaan (abessive plural)
goittansa (abessive plural)
goineen (comitative plural)
goinensa (comitative plural)


go

gók (plural)
go (nominative singular)
gók (nominative plural)
gót (accusative singular)
gókat (accusative plural)
gónak (dative singular)
góknak (dative plural)
góval (instrumental singular)
gókkal (instrumental plural)
góért (causal-final singular)
gókért (causal-final plural)
góvá (singular translative)
gókká (plural translative)
góig (singular terminative)
gókig (plural terminative)
góként (essive-formal singular)
gókként (essive-formal plural)
góban (inessive singular)
gókban (inessive plural)
gón (singular superessive)
gókon (plural superessive)
gónál (adessive singular)
góknál (adessive plural)
góba (illative singular)
gókba (illative plural)
góra (singular sublative)
gókra (plural sublative)
góhoz (allative singular)
gókhoz (allative plural)
góból (elative singular)
gókból (elative plural)
góról (delative singular)
gókról (delative plural)
gótól (ablative singular)
góktól (ablative plural)
góé (singular)
góké (plural)
góéi (singular)
gókéi (plural)
góm (first-person possessed-single possessive singular)
góim (first-person possessed-many possessive singular)
gód (possessed-single possessive second-person singular)
góid (possessed-many possessive second-person singular)
gója (possessed-single possessive singular third-person)
gói (possessed-many possessive singular third-person)
gónk (first-person plural possessed-single possessive)
góink (first-person plural possessed-many possessive)
gótok (plural possessed-single possessive second-person)
góitok (plural possessed-many possessive second-person)
gójuk (plural possessed-single possessive third-person)
góik (plural possessed-many possessive third-person)


go

(board games) A strategic board game, originally from China, in which two players (black and white) attempt to control the largest area of the board with their counters.


go

(board games) go (Chinese strategy board game)


hang

hang (third-person singular simple present hangs, present participle hanging, simple past and past participle hung or (law) hanged)

hangs (present singular third-person)
hanging (participle present)
hung (participle past)
hung (past)
hanged (participle past)
hanged (past)

From Middle English hangen, hongen, from a fusion of Old English hōn (“to hang, be hanging”, transitive verb) and hangian (“to hang, cause to hang”, intransitive verb), from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄han and *hangēn; also probably influenced by Old Norse hengja (“to suspend”) and hanga (“to be suspended”); all from Proto-Germanic *hanhaną, *hangāną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱenk- (“to waver, be in suspense”).
See also Dutch hangen, Low German hangen and hängen, German hängen, Norwegian Bokmål henge, Norwegian Nynorsk henga; also Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽 (hāhan), Hittite 𒂵𒀀𒀭𒂵 (/kānk-/, “to hang”), Sanskrit शङ्कते (śáṅkate, “is in doubt, hesitates”), Latin cūnctārī (“to delay”).

laat hang

computing: to cause (a program or computer) to stop responding

vystavit

chess: to cause to become vulnerable to capture

freeze

computing: cause (a program or computer) to stop responding

give him enough rope and he'll hang himself

one may as well hang for a sheep as a lamb

If you move there, you'll hang your rook.

(transitive, chess) To cause (a piece) to become vulnerable to capture.

In this standard opening position White has to be careful because the pawn on e4 hangs.

(intransitive, chess) To be vulnerable to capture.


hit

en-verb

hit (third-person singular simple present hits, present participle hitting, simple past hit or (dialectal, obsolete) hat or (rare, dialectal) het, past participle hit or (archaic, rare, dialectal) hitten)

hits (present singular third-person)
hitting (participle present)
hit (past)
hat (dialectal obsolete past)
het (dialectal past rare)
hit (participle past)
hitten (archaic dialectal participle past rare)

miss

antonym(s) of “manage to touch in the right place”

From Middle English hitten (“to hit, strike, make contact with”), from Old English hittan (“to meet with, come upon, fall in with”), from Old Norse hitta (“to strike, meet”), from Proto-Germanic *hittijaną (“to come upon, find”), from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂eyd- (“to fall; fall upon; hit; cut; hew”).
Cognate with Icelandic hitta (“to meet”), Danish hitte (“to find”), Latin caedō (“to kill”), Albanian qit (“to hit, throw, pull out, release”).

cog

don't let the door hit you on the way out

let the door hit you where the good Lord split you

not be able to hit the broad side of a barn

(backgammon) To take up, or replace by a piece belonging to the opposing player; said of a single unprotected piece on a point.


hit

→ Catalan: hit

→ Czech: hit

→ Danish: hit

→ French: hit

→ Dutch: hit

→ Japanese: ヒット (hitto)

→ Polish: hit

→ Portuguese: hit

→ Russian: хит (xit)

→ Spanish: hit

→ Swedish: hit

хіт

success, especially in the entertainment industry

папада́нне

collision of a projectile with the target

(backgammon) A move that throws one of the opponent's men back to the entering point.

(backgammon) A game won after the adversary has removed some of his men. It counts for less than a gammon.


reading

en-noun

reading (countable and uncountable, plural readings)

From Middle English reding, redynge, redunge, from Old English rǣding (“reading”), equivalent to read + -ing.

(go, uncountable) The act or process of imagining sequences of potential moves and responses without actually placing stones.

読み

act or process of imagining sequences of moves


make

en-verb

make (third-person singular simple present makes, present participle making, simple past and past participle made or (dialectal or obsolete) maked)

makes (present singular third-person)
making (participle present)
made (participle past)
made (past)
maked (dialectal obsolete participle past)
maked (dialectal obsolete past)
make (infinitive)

From Middle English maken, from Old English macian (“to make, build, work”), from Proto-West Germanic *makōn (“to make, build, work”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ- (“to knead, mix, make”).
Related to match.
Cognates
* Scots mak (“to make”)
* Saterland Frisian moakje (“to make”)
* West Frisian meitsje (“to make”)
* Dutch maken (“to make”)
* Dutch Low Saxon maken (“to make”)
* German Low German maken (“to make”)
* German machen (“to make, do”)
* Danish mage (“to make, arrange (in a certain way)”)
* Latin mācerō, macer
* Ancient Greek μάσσω (mássō)

elér

with definite conjugation and a subordinate clause

don't get your honey where you make your money

it takes a heap of living to make a house a home

it takes a heap o' livin' to make a house a home

it takes a lot of living to make a house a home

mackerel sky and mare's-tails make lofty ships carry low sails

mackerel sky and mare's-tails make tall ships carry low sails

you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette

(transitive, backgammon) To establish two or more men on (a point) so that it cannot be captured.


一

Borrowing from Mandarin 一 (yī) in the Qing Dynasty.


象

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (象):
* → Japanese: 象(ぞう) (zō); 象(しょう) (shō)
* → Korean: 상(象) (sang)
* → Vietnamese: tượng (象)

→ Proto-Turkic:

→? Bulgar:

→? Chuvash: сӑлан (sălan)

→? Proto-Slavic: *slonъ

→ Common Turkic: *yaŋan

→ Old Uyghur: 𐽶𐽰𐽺𐽷𐽰 (yaŋa)

→ Western Yugur: yaŋan

→ Kalmyk: зан (zan)

→ Mongolian: заан (zaan)

→ Proto-Tai: *ɟaːŋꟲ (“elephant”)

Lao: ຊ້າງ (sāng)

Lü: ᦋᦱᧂᧉ (tsaang²)

Northern Thai: ᨩ᩶ᩣ᩠ᨦ (cang)

Saek: ซาง

Shan: ၸၢင်ႉ (tsâ̰ang)

Tai Dam: ꪋ꫁ꪱꪉ

Tai Nüa: ᥓᥣᥒᥳ (tsȧang)

Thai: ช้าง (cháang)

desc

→ Proto-Lolo-Burmese: *tsaŋ (“elephant”)

Burmese: ဆင် (hcang)

→ Proto-Monic: *ciiŋ ("elephant")

Mon: စိၚ် (coiŋ)

→ Proto-Vietic: *ʔa-ɟaːŋ (“elephant”)

/t͡sʰuɔŋ²⁴²/

/t͡sʰuɔŋ²⁴²/

Pictogram (象形) - pictographic representation of an elephant. ⺈ represents the trunk, 𫩏 represents the head, and 𧰨 represents the body.
This character is used to represent two semantic fields ‘elephant; tusk’ and ‘to outline; to depict; to delineate; to represent; to resemble; to map’. Both fields are found from the earliest layers of the edited literature onwards, whereas only the first meaning is amply attested in oracle bone inscriptions.
Traditionally, the two senses are treated as related, with the sense of ‘to depict; to resemble’ considered a derivative of the sense of ‘elephant’. The derivation from the ‘elephant’ meaning to the ‘likeness’ meaning is explained in Han Feizi First attested in c. 221 BCE: “Men rarely see living elephants. As they come by the skeleton of a dead elephant, they imagine its living form according to its features. Therefore it comes to pass that whatever people use for imagining the real is called 象.”
Modern etymology studies on Old Chinese have challenged this opinion.
As for the ‘elephant; tusk’ sense, this is a widely used area word in East and Southeast Asia. Literature opinions differ on the origin and immediate relationship of this Chinese word; some (e.g. Schuessler, 2007) believe the Chinese form is a loanword from a Southern language, since it is unlikely that peoples all over Southeast Asia and the Himalayan foothills would borrow a word from Northern China to denote an indigenous animal. Others believe the direction of borrowing is reversed (i.e. Tai-Kadai borrowing from Chinese), and that Chinese 象 should be compared with Tibetan གླང (glang), གླང་ཆེན (glang chen, “elephant”) arising from a common Proto-Sino-Tibetan *glaŋ (“ox, bull; elephant”), which may ultimately have an Austroasiatic origin (Behr, 2004). The second viewpoint is supported by the early attestation of this character and the archaeological findings of the historical ranges of elephants. However, Schuessler disputes that second viewpoint and links ST *glaŋ to 犅 (OC *klaːŋ, “ox, bull”).
See below for a tentative borrowing history of the various forms of this general area word.

inh

(xiangqi) elephant: 🩩 (on the black side) (Classifier: 隻／只 c)


士

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (士):
* → Japanese: 士(し) (shi)
* → Korean: 사(士) (sa)
* → Vietnamese: sĩ (士)

Pictogram (象形) – a war axe. Later, it took the meaning of "soldier" and eventually "officer, intellectual". Partly related to 王 since in at least two characters it should represent a ritual axe, perhaps made of jade: in fact, it is related to 圭 and 金 despite their appearance.
;"bachelor, man, male"
:*Reminiscent of Austroasiatic synonyms like Old Khmer si (“male”) or MK words for "man, male" like *ʔŋsiil, *ensir, *kəsəy on the Malay Peninsula; Schuessler (2007) noted that foreign *-r sometimes left traces in OC initial complex. These relations, if, valid, would keep 士₁ "bachelor, man, male" distinct from 士₂ "servant, retainer, officer, scholar".
;"take or give an office, serve", "servant", "retainer", "officer", "scholar"
:*Schuessler (2007) noted that one could naturally assume the semantic development "male > man > servant > to serve" in order to posit that 士₁ "bachelor, man, male" is the same word as 士₂ "servant, retainer, officer, scholar". Yet, the exopassive derivation 事 (OC *ʔsrɯs, *zrɯs) "assignment, affair, thing" and Tibeto-Burman counterparts demonstrated no association with "man, maleness"; & "male" hardly derives from "to serve".
:*Therefore, Schuessler derived these forms from 理 (OC *rɯʔ) "envoy, jail official, matchmaker" & proposed ultimate Austroasiatic origins. In terms of phonology, MC *dʐ- normally does not occur with *l- and *ʂ in an ST word-family, apparently confirming a non-ST provenance; however, MC *dʐ- here could go back to OC *s-r- (unlike MC *ʂ-, which is from OC *sr)
:*Subsequenly, Schuessler posited either relation to Austroasiatic or OC loan into Tibeto-Burman as Proto-Tibeto-Burman *ʔ-dzəj (“send on an errant”) (Matisoff, 2003), whence Burmese စာ (ca, “thing”) & Tibetan རྫས (rdzas, “thing, matter, object”) (Gong, 1999). Even so, Tibeto-Burman cognates of this etymon and 所 (suǒ) are difficult to distinguish.

cog

(xiangqi) adviser; guard; minister: 🩨 (usually only on the black side, in some sets on both red and black sides)


increment

/ˈɪŋkɹɪmn̩t/

From Middle English encrement, increment, from Latin incrēmentum, from incrēscō (whence increase), from in- + crēscō (“grow”). Equivalent to increase + -ment.

(chess) The amount of time added to a player's clock after each move.


tore

Borrowed from Spanish torre. Displaced moog.


torn

torn (indefinite nominative singular)
torns (genitive indefinite singular)
tornet (definite nominative singular)
tornets (definite genitive singular)
torn (indefinite nominative plural)
torns (genitive indefinite plural)
tornen (definite nominative plural)
tornens (definite genitive plural)

From Old Norse turn, from Middle Low German tōrn, tōren, from Old French tor, from Latin turris, from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis), τύρσις (túrsis), from a Mediterranean substrate loan.


cook

Sranan Tongo: kukru (via cook room)

Aukan: kukuu

Tok Pisin: kuk

→ Norman: couque

→ Portuguese: cuca

→ Thai: กุ๊ก (gúk)

→ Tokelauan: kuka

From Middle English cook, from Old English cōc (“a cook”), from Latin cocus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ- (“to cook, become ripe”).
Cognate with Low German kokk, Dutch kok, German Koch, Danish kok, Norwegian kokk, Swedish kock, Icelandic kokkur (“cook”). Also compare Proto-West Germanic *kokōn (“to cook”).

inh

Audio (UK) "to cook"

cuck (most accents without the foot-strut split)

The original endgame was one file to the right (Kf1, Kb5 etc.). But there is a cook after 1. c6 dxc6 2. d6 cxd6 3. h4 gxh3 e.p. 4. gxh3 Ka4! 5. h4 b5. My version eliminates the cook.

2003 June, Pal Benko, “Endgame Lab”, in Chess Life, volume 58, number 6, New Windsor, N.Y.: United States Chess Federation, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 49:

(chess) An unintended solution to a chess problem, considered to spoil the problem.


cover

en-verb

cover (third-person singular simple present covers, present participle covering, simple past and past participle covered)

covers (present singular third-person)
covering (participle present)
covered (participle past)
covered (past)

→ German: covern

→ Danish: lave en cover

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm
Proto-Italic *kom
Old Latin com
Latin cum
Latin con-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-?
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi
Proto-Indo-European *h₂wer-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Latin operiō
Latin cooperiō
Old French covrirbor.
Middle English coveren
English cover
From Middle English coveren, borrowed from Old French covrir, cueuvrir (modern French couvrir), from Late Latin coperire, from Latin cooperiō (“I cover completely”), from co- (intensive prefix) + operiō (“I close, cover”). Displaced native Middle English thecchen and bethecchen (“to cover”) (from Old English þeccan, beþeccan (“to cover”)), Middle English helen, (over)helen, (for)helen (“to cover, conceal”) (from Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”)), Middle English wrien, (be)wreon (“to cover”) (from Old English (be)wrēon (“to cover”)), Middle English hodren, hothren (“to cover up”) (from Low German hudren (“to cover up”)).
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original sense of the verb and noun cover was “hide from view” as in its cognate covert. Except in the limited sense of “cover again”, the word recover is unrelated and is cognate with recuperate. Cognate with Spanish cubrir (“to cover”).

cog

In order to checkmate a king on the side of the board, the five squares adjacent to the king must all be covered.

(chess, transitive) To protect or control (a piece or square).


beaver

en-noun

beaver (countable and uncountable, plural beavers or (senses 1 and 4) beaver)

From Middle English bever, from Old English befer, from Proto-West Germanic *bebru, from Proto-Germanic *bebruz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰébʰrus (“beaver”).
Cognate with West Frisian bever, Dutch bever, French bièvre, German Biber, dialectal Swedish bjur. Non-Germanic cognates include Welsh befer, Latin fiber, Lithuanian bẽbras, Russian бобр (bobr), Avestan 𐬠𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬭𐬀 (bauura), and Sanskrit बभ्रु (bábhru, “mongoose; ichneumon”).

cog

(countable, backgammon) A move in response to being doubled, in which one immediately doubles the stakes again, keeping the doubling cube on one’s own side of the board.


beaver

en-verb

beaver (third-person singular simple present beavers, present participle beavering, simple past and past participle beavered)

beavers (present singular third-person)
beavering (participle present)
beavered (participle past)
beavered (past)

(backgammon) After being doubled, to immediately double the stakes again, a move that keeps the doubling cube on one’s own side of the board.


castle

→ Tongan: kāsolo

From Middle English castle, castel, from late Old English castel, castell (“a town, village, castle”), borrowed from Late Latin castellum (“small camp, fort”), diminutive of Latin castrum (“camp, fort, citadel, stronghold”). Doublet of cashel, castell, castellum, and château.
Parallel borrowings (from Late Latin or Old French) are Scots castel, castell (“castle”), West Frisian kastiel (“castle”), Dutch kasteel (“castle”), German Kastell (“castle”), Danish kastel (“citadel”), Swedish kastell (“citadel”), Icelandic kastali (“castle”), Welsh castell.
The Middle English word was reinforced by Anglo-Norman/Old Northern French castel, itself from Late Latin castellum (“small camp, fort”) (compare modern French château from Old French chastel). If Latin castrum (“camp, fort, citadel, stronghold”) is from Proto-Indo-European *kat- (“hut, shed”), Latin casa (“cottage, hut”) is related. Possibly related also to Gothic 𐌷𐌴𐌸𐌾𐍉 (hēþjō, “chamber”), Old English heaþor (“restraint, confinement, enclosure, prison”). See also casino, cassock.

cog

(chess, informal) A rook; a chess piece shaped like a castle tower.

(shogi) A defense structure in shogi formed by defensive pieces surrounding the king.


castle

en-verb

castle (third-person singular simple present castles, present participle castling, simple past and past participle castled)

castles (present singular third-person)
castling (participle present)
castled (participle past)
castled (past)

He [i.e., the king] may change (or Castle) with this Rooke, that is, he may goe two draughts at once towards this Rooke... causing the Rooke to stand next to him on either side.

1656, Gioachino Greco, translated by Francis Beale, The Royall Game of Chesse-Play, Being the Study of Biochimo, page 8:

No. 24. ¶ If your adversary make a false move, castle improperly, &c., you must take notice of such irregularity before you move, or even touch a piece, or you are no longer allowed to inflict any penalties.

1835, William Lewis, Chess for Beginners, Ch. 5, p. 24:

(usually intransitive, chess) To move the king 2 squares right or left and, in the same turn, the nearest rook to the far side of the king. The move now has special rules: the king cannot be in, go through, or end in check; the squares between the king and rook must be vacant; and neither piece may have been moved before castling.

(usually intransitive, shogi) To create a similar defensive position in Japanese chess through several moves.


pawn

From Middle English pown, from Anglo-Norman poun, paun (“footman”), from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”), derived fom Latin ped- (“foot”). Doublet of peon.

(chess) The most numerous chess piece, or a similar piece in a similar game. In chess, each side starts with eight; moves are only forward, and attacks are only diagonally or en passant.


checkmate

From Middle English chekmat, from Old French eschec mat, from Arabic شَاه مَاتَ (šāh māta), from Classical Persian شاه مات (šāh māt, “the king [is] amazed”).

der

Arabic شَاه مَاتَ (šāh māta)

(chess) Word called out by the victor when making a move that wins the game.


checkmate

en-verb

checkmate (third-person singular simple present checkmates, present participle checkmating, simple past and past participle checkmated)

checkmates (present singular third-person)
checkmating (participle present)
checkmated (participle past)
checkmated (past)

der

Arabic شَاه مَاتَ (šāh māta)

My opponent checkmated me in four moves!

(transitive, chess) To put the king of an opponent into checkmate.


capture

en-verb

capture (third-person singular simple present captures, present participle capturing, simple past and past participle captured)

captures (present singular third-person)
capturing (participle present)
captured (participle past)
captured (past)

Borrowed from Middle French capture (noun), from Latin captūra. Displaced native Old English fenġ (noun) and ġefōn (verb).

վերցնել

remove or take control of opponent’s piece

My pawn was captured.

He captured his opponent’s queen on the 15th move.

How deeply ingrained capturing is in the mind of a chess master can be seen from this story.

1954, Fred Reinfeld, How to Be a Winner at Chess, Garden City, NY: Hanover House, page 63:

(transitive) To remove or take control of an opponent’s piece in a game (e.g., chess, go, checkers).


house

en-noun

house (countable and uncountable, plural houses or (dialectal) housen or (chiefly humorous) hice)

houses (plural)
housen (dialectal plural)
hice (humorous plural)

Chinese Pidgin English: houso

Nigerian Pidgin: haus

Tok Pisin: haus

Sranan Tongo: oso
→ Dutch: osso

→ Cantonese: house (hau¹ si²)

→ Japanese: ハウス (hausu)

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH-der.?
Proto-Germanic *hūsą
Proto-West Germanic *hūs
Old English hūs
Middle English hous
English house
From Middle English hous, hus, from Old English hūs (“dwelling, shelter, house”), from Proto-West Germanic *hūs, from Proto-Germanic *hūsą (compare Scots hoose, West Frisian hûs, Dutch huis, German Haus, German Low German Huus, Danish hus, Faroese hús, Icelandic hús, Norwegian Bokmål hus, Norwegian Nynorsk hus and Swedish hus), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kews-, from *(s)kewH- (“to cover, hide”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English meson, measoun (“house”), borrowed from Old French maison (“house”). More at hose. The uncommon plural form housen is from Middle English husen, housen. (The Old English nominative plural was simply hūs.)

huis

debating chamber for government politicians

a house divided against itself cannot stand

the call is coming from inside the house

use the master's tools to dismantle the master's house

(chess, now rare) A square on a chessboard, regarded as the proper place of a piece.


sharp

en-adj

sharp (comparative sharper, superlative sharpest)

sharper (comparative)
sharpest (superlative)

bland

antonym(s) of “having an intense and acrid flavour”

From Middle English scharp, from Old English sċearp, from Proto-West Germanic *skarp, from Proto-Germanic *skarpaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb-, from *(s)ker- (“to cut”).
Cognate with West Frisian skerp, Low German scharp, Dutch scherp, German scharf, Danish skarp. Compare Irish cearb (“keen; cutting”), Latin acerbus (“tart, bitter”), Tocharian B kärpye (“rough”), Latvian skârbs (“sharp, rough”), Russian щерба (ščerba, “notch”), Polish szczerba (“gap, dent, jag, chip, nick, notch”), Albanian harb (“rudeness”). More at shear.

better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick

Time and time again, the amateur player has lost the opportunity to make the really best move because he felt bound to follow some chess "rule" he had learned, rather than to make the sharp move which was indicated by the position.

1963, Max Euwe, Chess Master Vs. Chess Amateur, page xviii:

In such situations most chess players choose the obvious and logical way: they go in for sharp play. However, not everyone is a natural attacking player[…]

1975, Luděk Pachman, Decisive Games in Chess History, page 64:


push

en-verb

push (third-person singular simple present pushes, present participle pushing, simple past and past participle pushed)

pushes (present singular third-person)
pushing (participle present)
pushed (participle past)
pushed (past)
push (infinitive)

From Middle English pushen, poshen, posson, borrowed from Middle French pousser (Modern French pousser) from Old French poulser, from Latin pulsare (“to beat, strike”), frequentative of pellere (past participle pulsus). Doublet of pulsate and pulse (verb). Partly displaced native Old English sċūfan, whence Modern English shove.

(chess, transitive) To move (a pawn) directly forward.


stone

en-noun

stone (countable and uncountable, plural stones or (UK colloquial, as unit of weight) stone)

stones (plural)
stone (UK colloquial plural)

Sranan Tongo: ston

→ Esperanto: ŝtono

From Middle English ston, stone, stan, from Old English stān, from Proto-West Germanic *stain, from Proto-Germanic *stainaz, from Proto-Indo-European *steyh₂- (“to stiffen”).
See also West Frisian stien, Saterland Frisian Steen, Dutch steen, German Stein, Danish and Swedish sten, Norwegian stein; also Russian стена́ (stená, “wall”), Ancient Greek στία (stía, “pebble”), στέαρ (stéar, “tallow”), Albanian shtëng (“hardened or pressed matter”), Sanskrit स्त्यायते (styāyate, “it hardens”)). Doublet of stein.

cog

(board games) A playing piece made of any hard material, used in various board games such as backgammon and go.

քար

piece of hard material used in board games


castling

en-noun

castling (usually uncountable, plural castlings)

From Middle English castellinge, equivalent to castle (verb) + -ing.

(chess) A move in which the king moves two squares towards a rook, and the rook moves to the other side of the king; the action of the verb to castle.

(shogi) The act of constructing a defense structure in Japanese chess in which the king (玉) is positioned in a certain way so that it is protected by pawns (歩) and silver general(s) (銀) and/or gold general(s) (金) often with an additional knight (桂) and lance (香車).


kral

kralik (diminutive)
kral (nominative singular)
kralej (dual nominative)
krale (nominative plural)
krala (genitive singular)
kralow (dual genitive)
kralow (genitive plural)
kralej (dative singular)
kralomaj (dative dual)
kralam (dative plural)
krala (accusative singular)
kralej (accusative dual)
krale (accusative plural)
kralom (instrumental singular)
kralomaj (dual instrumental)
kralemi (instrumental plural)
kralu (locative singular)
kralomaj (dual locative)
kralach (locative plural)
kralo (singular vocative)
kralej (dual vocative)
krale (plural vocative)


fil

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish فیل (fil).


fil

az-noun

fil (definite accusative fili, plural fillər)

fili (accusative definite)
fillər (plural)
fil (nominative singular)
fillər (nominative plural)
fili (accusative definite singular)
filləri (accusative definite plural)
filə (dative singular)
fillərə (dative plural)
fildə (locative singular)
fillərdə (locative plural)
fildən (ablative singular)
fillərdən (ablative plural)
filin (definite genitive singular)
fillərin (definite genitive plural)
filim (first-person nominative possessive singular)
fillərim (first-person nominative possessive singular)
filin (nominative possessive second-person singular)
fillərin (nominative possessive second-person singular)
fili (nominative possessive singular third-person)
filləri (nominative possessive singular third-person)
filimiz (first-person nominative plural possessive)
fillərimiz (first-person nominative plural possessive)
filiniz (nominative plural possessive second-person)
filləriniz (nominative plural possessive second-person)
fili (nominative plural possessive third-person)
filləri (nominative plural possessive third-person)
filimi (accusative first-person possessive singular)
fillərimi (accusative first-person possessive singular)
filini (accusative possessive second-person singular)
fillərini (accusative possessive second-person singular)
filini (accusative possessive singular third-person)
fillərini (accusative possessive singular third-person)
filimizi (accusative first-person plural possessive)
fillərimizi (accusative first-person plural possessive)
filinizi (accusative plural possessive second-person)
fillərinizi (accusative plural possessive second-person)
filini (accusative plural possessive third-person)
fillərini (accusative plural possessive third-person)
filimə (dative first-person possessive singular)
fillərimə (dative first-person possessive singular)
filinə (dative possessive second-person singular)
fillərinə (dative possessive second-person singular)
filinə (dative possessive singular third-person)
fillərinə (dative possessive singular third-person)
filimizə (dative first-person plural possessive)
fillərimizə (dative first-person plural possessive)
filinizə (dative plural possessive second-person)
fillərinizə (dative plural possessive second-person)
filinə (dative plural possessive third-person)
fillərinə (dative plural possessive third-person)
filimdə (first-person locative possessive singular)
fillərimdə (first-person locative possessive singular)
filində (locative possessive second-person singular)
fillərində (locative possessive second-person singular)
filində (locative possessive singular third-person)
fillərində (locative possessive singular third-person)
filimizdə (first-person locative plural possessive)
fillərimizdə (first-person locative plural possessive)
filinizdə (locative plural possessive second-person)
fillərinizdə (locative plural possessive second-person)
filində (locative plural possessive third-person)
fillərində (locative plural possessive third-person)
filimdən (ablative first-person possessive singular)
fillərimdən (ablative first-person possessive singular)
filindən (ablative possessive second-person singular)
fillərindən (ablative possessive second-person singular)
filindən (ablative possessive singular third-person)
fillərindən (ablative possessive singular third-person)
filimizdən (ablative first-person plural possessive)
fillərimizdən (ablative first-person plural possessive)
filinizdən (ablative plural possessive second-person)
fillərinizdən (ablative plural possessive second-person)
filindən (ablative plural possessive third-person)
fillərindən (ablative plural possessive third-person)
filimin (first-person genitive possessive singular)
fillərimin (first-person genitive possessive singular)
filinin (genitive possessive second-person singular)
fillərinin (genitive possessive second-person singular)
filinin (genitive possessive singular third-person)
fillərinin (genitive possessive singular third-person)
filimizin (first-person genitive plural possessive)
fillərimizin (first-person genitive plural possessive)
filinizin (genitive plural possessive second-person)
fillərinizin (genitive plural possessive second-person)
filinin (genitive plural possessive third-person)
fillərinin (genitive plural possessive third-person)

→ Georgian: ფილ (pil) — Ingilo


fil

fil (nominative singular)
filler (nominative plural)
filniñ (genitive singular)
fillerniñ (genitive plural)
filge (dative singular)
fillerge (dative plural)
filni (accusative singular)
fillerni (accusative plural)
filde (locative singular)
fillerde (locative plural)
filden (ablative singular)
fillerden (ablative plural)


fil

Inherited from Classical Persian فِیل (fīl).