An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/matt

by Friedrich Kluge

matt, adj., ‘checkmated; faint, languid, insipid,’ from MidHG. mat (gen. mattes), adj., ‘checkmated’ (also figuratively), which was adopted from Rom. in the latter half of the 12th cent.; comp. Fr. mat. Ital. matto, MidLat. mattus, whence also Du. mat, E. mate. This characteristic term, which was introduced with chess, is formed from Arab. and Pers. schâh mât, ‘the king is dead.’ See Schach.