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