Mōtung:Tæfl

"Chess" translation suggestions

I found this when searching the term tæfl on the web, and tæfl was its own game, similar to, although not the same as, chess. Perhaps something along the lines of tæfling for "chess"? I'm open to all sorts of suggestions really, cuz I think it's awesome to have modern topics on here. Just gotta think of what to call it lol. —Ƿōdenhelm 14:43, 6 Se Æfterra Gēola 2009 (UTC)

Ah, I might have found an answer...

The term tafl (Old Norse: "table", "board") (IPA: [tavl])[4] is the original name of the game. However, Hnefatafl became the preferred term for the game in Scandinavia by the end of the Viking Age, to distinguish it from other board-games, such as Skáktafl (Chess), Kvatrutafl (Tables) and Halatafl (Fox games), as these became known.

We just need to anglicize Skáktafl, and we'll have our solution :D —Ƿōdenhelm 18:08, 6 Se Æfterra Gēola 2009 (UTC)

The irksome thing is knowing that there was a name for chess in Englisc but being aware that we don't know what it was. (Norse went its own way, as ever.)

We have scacarium in Latin (unless that is a chessboard), from the Persian "shah". In Old French, also from shah, we have echec (from which the board is "checkered"). The Germanic Lexicon Project database mentions various cognates too (and some interesting early Old / Middle English texts). It is likely that in Englisc a word with a sound like "scac" or "sceac" or "cec" or some such was used, but unless someone finds a lost manuscript, we will never know what it was.

Hogweard 22:15, 6 Se Æfterra Gēola 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, I think about the best we can do is to construct something as close as possible to the Norse term, in following Englisc/Norse language patterns. Even Norse skák looks alot like latin scac(arium) which still vaguely resembles Persian shah. Perhaps scēah- or scēac-? —Ƿōdenhelm 22:20, 6 Se Æfterra Gēola 2009 (UTC)

Looks like we're gonna shoot for scēactæfl, based on the attested Old Norse term for chess. —Ƿōdenhelm 23:23, 6 Se Æfterra Gēola 2009 (UTC)

Just one last thing, should we then call the chessmen "scēactæflmenn"? — Gherkinmad 23:32, 6 Se Æfterra Gēola 2009 (UTC)

Note: This discussion is considered to be successfully concluded, as chess can now be found on the scēactæfl page. Tæfl, as a page title, is now being used for Hnefatafl/Cyningtæfl. — ᚹᚩᛞᛖᚾᚻᛖᛚᛗ 11:24, 14 Solmōnaþ 2009 (UTC)