exchequer

exchequer
\ \ [13] Etymologically, an exchequer is something that has ‘checks’ or squares on it, and indeed the earliest use of the word in English was for ‘chessboard’. It came via Anglo- Norman escheker from medieval Latin scaccāriumchessboard’, a derivative of Vulgar Latin scaccuscheck’ (source of English checkverify’). In the early Middle Ages the office of state, in both England and Normandy, which dealt with the collection and management of the royal revenue, used a table with a chequered cloth on it as a sort of rudimentary adding machine, counters being placed on various squares as an aid to calculation. And by the 14th century it had become the custom to refer to this department, from its chessboard-like table cloth, as the exchequer (Robert Mannyng, for instance, in his Chronicle 1331, records that ‘to Berwick came the king’s exchequer, Sir Hugh of Cressyngham he was chancellor, Walter of Admundesham he was treasurer’). Exchequer was the source of chequer [13], which by further reduction produced checkpattern of squares’.
\ \ Cf.CHECK, CHESS

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Exchequer — Ex*cheq uer, n. [OE. escheker, OF. eichekier, fr. LL. scaccarium. See {Checker}, {Chess}, {Check}.] 1. One of the superior courts of law; so called from a checkered cloth, which covers, or formerly covered, the table. [Eng.] [1913 Webster] Note:… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • exchequer — ex·che·quer / eks ˌche kər, iks che / n [Anglo French eschecker eschequ(i)er, from Old French eschequier royal treasury, reckoning board or cloth marked with squares, literally, chessboard, from eschec chess] 1 cap: a royal office in medieval… …   Law dictionary

  • Exchequer —   [ɪks tʃekə; von mittellateinisch scaccarium »Schachbrett« (nach dem schachbrettartig gemusterten Brett, auf dem die Rechenpfennige ausgelegt wurden)] das, / s, Schatzamt, in England seit etwa 1100 die oberste zentrale Finanzbehörde, seit dem 13 …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Exchequer — Ex‧cheq‧uer [ɪksˈtʆekə ǁ ˈekstʆekər] written abbreviation Exch noun FINANCE the Exchequer the British government department responsible for collecting taxes and paying out public money: • This year, the Exchequer received some £22 billion from… …   Financial and business terms

  • Exchequer — Ex*cheq uer, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Exchequered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Exchequering}.] To institute a process against (any one) in the Court of Exchequer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Exchequer — (engl., spr. Ekstschekker), königliche Schatzkammer in England; daher Exchequer Bills, Schatzkammerscheine, Haupttheil der unfundirten britischen Staatsschuld, d.i. derjenigen, für welche keine bestimmten Einkünfte angewiesen sind. Zuerst wurden… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Exchequer — (Ekstscheker), engl., eigentlich Schachbrett; gewürfeltes Tuch als Tischbedeckung; Behörden, welche vor demselben ihre Sitzung haben; court of exchequer, das Schatzkammergericht. E. Bills, Schatzkammerscheine, engl. Staatspapiere, zu deren… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • exchequer — ► NOUN 1) a royal or national treasury. 2) (Exchequer) Brit. the account at the Bank of England into which tax receipts and other public monies are paid. ORIGIN Old French eschequier, from Latin scaccarium chessboard ; modern senses derive from… …   English terms dictionary

  • exchequer — [eks chek′ər, ikschek′ər; eks′chek΄ər] n. [ME escheker, lit., chessboard, court of revenue, treasury < OFr eschekier: see CHECKER1] 1. [E ] a) under the Norman kings of England, an administrative and judicial state department in charge of… …   English World dictionary

  • Exchequer — (engl., spr. ex tschécker, v. franz. échiquier, »Schachbrett«), in England Name des Schatzkammergerichts (Court of E.), in dem über Einkünfte und Rechte der Krone verhandelt und beschlossen wird. Es bildet den letzten der vier Höfe in Westminster …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Exchequer — (engl., spr. tscheck r, frz. échiquier, »Schachbrett«), in England das Schatzkammergericht (Court of E.), die oberste Behörde für alle die Staatseinkünfte betreffenden Angelegenheiten; daher Chancellor of the E. (Schatzkanzler) Titel des engl.… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

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