Re: Names of chess pieces in (con)langs

--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Jim Henry <jimhenry1973@...> wrote:

>Have any of y'all decided on the names of chess pieces in your
>conlangs?
>paxnx		king (lord, sovereign; < Polish)
>paxnx-sxy	queen (lord-feminine)
>keq'baxl		knight (horse, < Spanish & Italian)
>rix'max-nxul	rook (house-defense; rix'max < Malaysian, nxul < a
>priori)
>six'dxyr-tla	pawn (fight-professional; roots are a priori)
>Need terms for "check" and "checkmate", "castle" and "en passant".
>"capture" is probably the general verb "taxnq-zox" (take away).
>"checkmate" could be "dxaxn" (defeat/conquest).  Maybe "check"
>could be "dxaxn txje", defeat-almost?
The Senjecan culture predates the game of chess by many millennia.
In this situation Senjecas adopts &/or adapts the specific culture's
own words.  In this case, the Indian terms are used with a few
adaptations.

king = mhâltus (prince); king (mhejmhâltus) is a later concept. (mh
= m_0)

queen = ârlus (counsellor)

bishop = dzêmvëzles (elephant); dzêmva (bite) > dzêmvos (tooth) >
dzêmvëdzos (tusk, augmentative form) > dzêmvëdzes (animal with tusk,
originally the mammoth, later the African elephant) > dzêmvëzles
(the diminutive form for the Indian elephant).

rook/castle = saþrêðos (chariot = fight-wagon)

knight = mîmes (steed; in deference to the six loquent peoples, each
of whom has its special steed, the horse being that of the humans)

pawn = côrïus (soldier)

check = nîîcaþus (attacked, as in "the king is attacked.")

checkmate = mêêrmis (dead, as in "the king is dead.")

to capture = êma

en passant = mêlcanþum (as in "mêlcanþum côrïum," a motive absolute
= the soldier passing by.)

It is interesting that, according to the AHD, all of the meanings of
the word "check" derive from the Persian word "shah," king.

Charlie