échec et mat

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French eschec mat, from Arabic شَاه مَاتَ (šāh māta), from Persian شاه مات (šâh mât, the king [is] conquered). Perhaps conflated with Arabic مَاتَ (māta, to die).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /e.ʃɛ.k‿e mat/
  • Audio (Paris):(file)

Noun

échec et mat m (uncountable)

  1. checkmate

Interjection

échec et mat

  1. checkmate