'checker' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'cheker,' where 'cheker' meant 'a chessboard or a board for playing checkers.'

'cheker' transformed into the modern English word 'checker' through the influence of the game of checkers and its pieces.

Initially, it meant 'a board for playing games,' but over time it evolved into its current meanings of 'a person who checks' and 'a game piece.'