"Border control" does arguably use the ordinary meaning of control: they control the border by checking passports. But check also has an interesting etymology.

"Border control" does arguably use the ordinary meaning of control: they control the border by checking passports. But check also has an interesting etymology. Its many meanings include a type of payment note (aka "cheque"), to obstruct ("check somebody's progress", "body check"), to verify, to inspect; also checker (divide into small squares) and exchequer (the UK treasury)... all come from the Persian word shah, meaning king, through chess-related metaphors. (Also the word chess itself)