alfil

English

Alternative forms

• fil, pil

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish alfil (“chess bishop”), which is a false friend.

Noun

alfil (plural alfils)

1. (chess) A fairy piece that moves two squares diagonally, leaping over any intermediary pieces.

Anagrams

• Filla, flail

Asturian

Noun

alfil m (plural alfiles)

1. (chess) bishop

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [əlˈfil]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [alˈfil]

Noun

alfil m (plural alfils)

1. (chess) bishop

Galician

Etymology

From Arabic الْفِيل (al-fīl, “elephant”), used as a name for the chess piece, from Persian پیل (pil).

Noun

alfil m (plural alfís)

1. (chess) bishop

Spanish

Alternative forms

• arfil (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic الْفِيل (al-fīl, “elephant”), used as a name for the chess piece, from Classical Persian پیل (pīl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈfil/ [alˈfil]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -il
• Syllabification: al‧fil

Noun

alfil m (plural alfiles)

1. (chess) bishop

Derived terms

• alfil bueno
• alfil malo

 

Related terms

• marfil

 

Further reading

• “alfil”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014