Meanings
nounshatranj (uncountable)
- uncountableA board game, an ancestor of modern chess.
Engrossed in the study of a small ivory shatranj board with pieces of ebony and horn, […] the African held the place nearest the fire […]
2007, Michael Chabon, Gentlemen of the Road, Sceptre, published 2008, page 3
Origin
- Sanskritचतुरङ्ग
- Middle Persian𐭰𐭠𐭲𐭫𐭠𐭭𐭢
- Classical Persianچَتْرَنْگ
- Arabicشَطْرَنْج
- Englishshatranj
From Arabic شَطْرَنْج (šaṭranj), from Early Classical Persian چَتْرَنْگ (čatrang), from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭠𐭲𐭫𐭠𐭭𐭢 (ctlng /čatrang/), from Sanskrit चतुरङ्ग (caturaṅga).
More words from Arabic, Classical Persian, Middle Persian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic شِطْرَنْج, شَطْرَنْج
- شِطْرَنْج (šiṭranj)an ancestor of modern chess
- شَطْرَنْج (šaṭranj)an ancestor of modern chess
Chinese Mandarin 波斯象棋, 沙特兰兹
- 波斯象棋an ancestor of modern chess
- 沙特兰兹an ancestor of modern chess
French chatrang
- chatrangan ancestor of modern chess
German Schatrandsch
- Schatrandschan ancestor of modern chess
Hindi शतरंज, चतुरंग
- शतरंज (śatrañj)an ancestor of modern chess
- चतुरंग (caturaṅg)an ancestor of modern chess
Japanese シャトランジ
- シャトランジ (shatoranji)an ancestor of modern chess
Polish szatrandż
- szatrandżan ancestor of modern chess
Russian шатра́ндж
- шатра́ндж (šatrándž)an ancestor of modern chess
Ukrainian шатра́ндж
- шатра́ндж (šatrándž)an ancestor of modern chess
Urdu شَطْرَن٘ج
- شَطْرَن٘ج (śatrañj)an ancestor of modern chess
Cite this entry
APA
shatranj. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shatranj
MLA
“shatranj.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shatranj. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shatranj,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shatranj.
Source: shatranj on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.