English
alfin
Alfin comes from Middle English awfyn ‘bishop (chess piece)’, from Arabic الفِيل ‘the elephant’, and ultimately from Sumerian am-si.
- Sumerianc. 3100–1800 BCEam-sitransliteratedcuneiform am-si, a transliteration‘elephant’
- Akkadianc. 2500–100 BCEpīrutransliteratedcuneiform pīru, a transliteration
- Middle Persianc. 300 BCE–900 CEpyl‘elephant’
- Arabicc. 500–presentالفِيلal-fīl‘the elephant’
- Old Spanishc. 950–1500alfil
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600alfin
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500awfyn‘bishop (chess piece)’
- Englishtodayalfin
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Sumerianc. 3100–1800 BCEam-sitransliteratedcuneiform am-si, a transliteration‘elephant’
- Akkadianc. 2500–100 BCEpīrutransliteratedcuneiform pīru, a transliteration
- Middle Persianc. 300 BCE–900 CEpyl‘elephant’
- Arabicc. 500–presentالفِيلal-fīl‘the elephant’
- Old Spanishc. 950–1500alfil
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600alfin
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500awfyn‘bishop (chess piece)’
- Englishtodayalfin
Every English word from Sumerian am-si
Today it means
noun A bishop.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Sumerian am-si / alfin