Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | 'Great swords are big sticks with cats at the end.
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==Classification by blade type==
===Double-edge and straight swords===
These are double-edged, usually straight bladed swords.
====Jian====
[[Jian]] ({{zh|t=劍|s=剑|p=jiàn}}; [[Cantonese]]: Gim) is a double-edged straight [[sword]] used during the last 2,500 years in [[China]]. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE during the [[Spring and Autumn period]];<ref>Ebrey 1999, p. 41</ref> one of the earliest specimens being the [[Sword of Goujian]]. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from {{convert|45|to|80|cm|in|abbr=off|sp=us}} in length. The weight of an average sword of {{convert|70|cm|in|abbr=off|adj=on}} blade-length would be in a range of approximately 700 to 900 grams (1.5 to 2 pounds).<ref>Rodell 2003, p. 19</ref> There are also larger two-handed versions used for training by many styles of [[Chinese martial arts]].
====Longsword====
These days, the term [[longsword]] most frequently refers to a late Medieval and Renaissance weapon designed for use with two hands.
The [[Early Modern German|German]] ''[[langes Schwert]]'' ("long sword") in 15th-century [[Fechtbuch|manuals]] did not necessarily denote a type of weapon, but the technique of fencing with both hands at the hilt.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
The French ''épée bâtarde'' and the English ''bastard sword'' originate in the 15th or 16th century,{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} originally having the general sense of "irregular sword or sword of uncertain origin". ''Qui n'était ni Française, ni Espagnole, ni proprement Lansquenette, mais plus longue que ces fortes épées''. ("[a sword] which was neither French, nor Spanish, nor properly ''[[Landsknecht]]'' [German], but longer than any of these sturdy swords.")<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UCY_AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA129 |title=Oeuvres - François Rabelais (écrivain), César de Missy, Jacob Le Duchat, Louis-Fabricius Dubourg, Bernard Picart, Pieter Tanjé, Balthasar Bernaerts, Jacob Folkema |page=129 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> ''Espée bastarde'' could also historically refer to a single-handed sword with a fairly long blade compared to other short swords.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZRcVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA51 |title=Dictionnaire historique de l'ancien langage françois: ou Glossaire de la ... - Sainte-Palaye (M. de La Curne de, Jean-Baptiste de La Curne) |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
[[Joseph Swetnam]] states that the bastard sword is midway in length between a arming sword and a long sword,<ref name="historical-academyii"/> and Randall Cotgrave's definition seems to imply this, as well. The French ''épée de passot'' was also known as ''épée bâtarde''{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} (i.e., bastard sword) and also ''coustille à croix''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aoIH0RDluwUC&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=COUSTILLE+%C3%A0+CROIX&source=bl&ots=MeDJ4LApyu&sig=zBO8t2AIre2HI0e1iXS0oAq69qQ&hl=en#v=onepage&q=COUSTILLE%20%C3%A0%20CROIX&f=false |title=Notes and Queries |page=116 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> (literally a cross-hilted blade). The term referred to a medieval single-handed sword optimized for thrusting.<ref name="google1">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYM-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq=rabelais+longue+epee&source=bl&ots=HSJuYK4SkI&sig=RM3H5K8aEZ_kYWLL3Jqtawgj7DY&hl=en#v=snippet&q=longue%20epee&f=false |title=Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue françoise - Gilles Ménage, Pierre Borel, Auguste François Jault, Pierre de Caseneuve, H. P. Simon de Val-Hébert |page=129 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> The ''épée de passot'' was the sidearm of the ''[[franc-archer]]''s (French or Breton bowmen of the 15th and 16th centuries).<ref name="google2">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cT28RzoK_YAC&pg=RA1-PA563&lpg=RA1-PA563&dq=%C3%A9p%C3%A9e+de+passot&source=bl&ots=a8zQco4M_c&sig=W15q9fxOFjguzt1LnphjpndC05c&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%C3%A9p%C3%A9e%20de%20passot&f=false |title=Dictionnaire étymologique, critique, historique, anecdotique et littéraire ... - François-Joseph-Michel Noël |page=563 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> The term ''passot'' comes from the fact that these swords passed (''passaient'') the length of a "normal" short sword.<ref name="google2"/>
The "Masters of Defence" competition organised by [[Henry VIII]] in July 1540 listed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=27500&sid=676c6db843722a1d15120893efbd544c |title=Sword types in prize playing - The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts |publisher=Thearma.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> ''two hande sworde'', ''bastard sworde'', and ''longe sworde'' as separate items (as it should in Joseph Swetnam's context).<ref>Joseph Strutt ''The sports and pastimes of the people of England from the earliest period: including the rural and domestic recreations, May games, mummeries, pageants, processions and pompous spectacles'', 1801, [https://books.google.com/books?id=eJwSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA211&dq=%22long+sword%22++%22bastard+sword%22&hl=en&ei=T0ILTqC0MYKd-wbBruzOAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22long%20sword%22%20%20%22bastard%20sword%22&f=false p. 211].</ref><ref name="iceweasel1">{{cite web|url=http://iceweasel.org/lmod_analysis.html |title=London Masters of Defense |publisher=Iceweasel.org |date=1998-05-29 |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://iceweasel.org/lmod.html |title=The London Masters of Defense |publisher=Iceweasel.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
Antiquarian usage in the 19th century established the use of "bastard sword" as referring unambiguously to these large swords.<ref>Oakeshott (1980).</ref> However, [[George Silver]] and Joseph Swetnam refer to them merely as ''two hande sworde''. The term "[[hand-and-a-half sword]]" is modern (late 19th century).<ref name="google3">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=BjQLTsC8A8ao8AOSiJ2EAQ&ct=result&id=cGgPAAAAYAAJ&dq=%2B%22hand-and-a-half%22+%2Bsword&q=%2B%22hand-and-a-half%22+#search_anchor |title=Exhibition of the Royal House of Tudor |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
During the first half of the 20th century, the term "bastard sword" was used regularly to refer to this type of sword.<ref name="google149">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CpYKAQAAIAAJ&q=%22long+sword%22++%22bastard+sword%22&dq=%22long+sword%22++%22bastard+sword%22&hl=en&ei=F0ILTouUIoOf-wb59KDPAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA |title=A General Guide to the Wallace Collection - Wallace Collection (London, England), Trenchard Cox |via=[[Google Books]]|date=2009-02-23 |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
The [[Elizabethan]] long sword (cf. George Silver<ref name="umass1">{{cite web|url=http://www.umass.edu/renaissance/lord/pdfs/Silver_1599.pdf |format=PDF |title=The Raymond J. Lord Collection of Historical Combat Treatises and fencing manuals : Terms of Use |publisher=Umass.edu |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> and Joseph Swetnam) is a single-handed "cut-and-thrust" sword with a {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} blade<ref name="historical-academyii">{{cite web|url=http://historical-academy.co.uk/blog/2011/07/29/a-perfect-length-ii-the-longsword/ |title=A Perfect Length II: The Longsword | Encased in Steel |publisher=Historical-academy.co.uk |date=2011-07-29 |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> similar to the long rapier. "Let thy (long) Rapier or (long) Sword be foure foote at the least, and thy dagger two foote." Historical terms (15th to 16th century) for this type of sword included the [[Italian language|Italian]] ''spada longa (lunga)'' and [[Middle French|French]] ''épée longue''.
The term '''longsword''' has also been used to refer to different kinds of sword depending on historical context:
* ''[[Bidenhänder]]'' or two-hander, a late Renaissance sword of the 16th century ''Landsknechte'', the longest sword of all;
* the long "[[Spada da lato|side sword]]" or "[[rapier]]"<ref name="salvatorfabris1" /> with a cutting edge (the [[Elizabethan]] long sword).
====Broadsword====
The basket-hilted sword was a
* [[Claymore]]<ref name="google4">{{cite book|title=A Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides, 1772|author=Pennant, T.|year=1776|issue=v. 2|publisher=B. White|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=liIJAAAAQAAJ}}</ref>
* [[Basket-hilted sword]]<ref name="myarmoury">{{cite web|url=http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_euroedge.html#broadsword|title=Forms of European Edged Weaponry -- myArmoury.com|publisher=myarmoury.com|accessdate=2014-05-27}}</ref>
* [[Sabre]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3noSAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA225&lpg=PA225&dq=espadon+backsword&source=bl&ots=-G-V2UnRzf&sig=eVea3HuVYAG5sfOeA2YzOyGFd1Y&hl=en#v=onepage&q=broad-sword&f=false |title=Boyer's French Dictionary: Comprising All the Additions and Improvements of ... |author1=Abel Boyer |author2=William Bentley Fowle |page=225 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
It must be noted that the term [[broadsword]] was never used historically to describe the one-handed [[arming sword]].{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} The arming sword was wrongly labelled a broadsword by antiquarians as the medieval swords were similar in blade width to the military swords of the day (that were also sometimes labeled as broadswords) and broader than the dueling swords and ceremonial dress swords.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}
====Long knife and short sword====
Knives such as the [[seax]] and other blades of similar length - between 1 and 2 feet ( ˜ 30 cm and 60 cm) - are sometimes construed as “swords”. This is especially the case for weapons from antiquity, made before the development of high quality steel that is necessary for longer swords.
*[[Iron Age sword]]s
**''[[Seax]]'', a tool and weapon, common in Northern Europe.
**''[[Gladius]]'', an early ancient Roman blade
**''[[Xiphos]]'', a double-edged, single-hand blade used by the ancient Greeks;
*certain Renaissance era sidearms:
**[[Baselard]], a late medieval heavy dagger;
**''[[Cinquedea]]'', a civilian long dagger;
**[[Dirk]], the Scottish long dagger (''biodag'');
**[[Hanger (sword)|Hanger]] or wood-knife, a type of [[hunting sword]] or infantry [[sabre]];
*certain [[fascine knife|fascine knives]]:
**[[Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword]], a blade of about 25 inches in length designed after the Roman ''gladius''. Also known as a ''coupe-chou'' (literally a cabbage cutter) in France.
Oversized two-handers used as parade swords or ceremonial weapons often exceeded the length and weight of practical weapons of war.
===Edgeless and thrusting swords===
The edgeless swords category comprises weapons which are related to or labeled as “swords” but do not emphasise "hacking or slashing techniques" or have any "cutting edges" whatsoever. The majority of these elongated weapons were designed for agility, precision and rapid thrusting blows to exploit gaps in the enemy's defenses; some are capable of piercing [[iron]] or [[steel]] armour.
====Xiphos====
The ''[[Spartan army|Spartiatēs]]'' were always armed with a ''[[xiphos]]'' as a secondary weapon. Among most Greek warriors, this weapon had an iron blade of about 60 centimetres. The Spartan version was typically only 30-45 centimetres. The Spartan's shorter weapon proved deadly in the crush caused by colliding phalanx formations – it was capable of being thrust through gaps in the enemy's shield wall and armor, where there was no room for longer weapons. The groin and throat were among the favorite targets. In one account, an Athenian asked a Spartan why his sword was so short and after a short pause he replied, "It's long enough to reach your heart."
====Rapier====
The term "[[rapiero]]" appeared in the English lexicon via the French ''épée rapière'' which either compared the weapon to a rasp or file; it may be a corruption of "rasping sword"<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rapier |title=Rapier | Define Rapier at Dictionary.com |publisher=Dictionary.reference.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> which referred to the sound the blade makes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lemondededartagnan.fr/SITE/ENG/cape_epeehisto.htm |title=Le Monde De D Artagnan |language=fr |publisher=Lemondededartagnan.fr |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> when it comes into contact with another blade. Note that there is no historical Italian equivalent to the English word "rapier".<ref name="salvatorfabris1"/>
====Panzerstecher and koncerz====
The ''[[Panzerstecher]]'' is a German and East European weapon with a long, edgeless blade of square or triangular cross-section for penetrating armour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dict.cc/german-english/Panzerstecher+%5BBlankwaffe%5D.html |title=dictionary :: Panzerstecher [Blankwaffe] :: German-English translation |publisher=Dict.cc |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myarmoury.com/review_mrl_estoc.html |title=English Tuck (Estoc) |publisher=myArmoury.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?48815-What-s-a-Panzerstecher |title=What's a Panzerstecher? |publisher=Swordforum.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> Early models were either two-handers or “hand-and-half” hilted,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/211938.html?mulR=22466 |title=Philadelphia Museum of Art - Collections Object : Tuck (Panzerstecher) |publisher=Philamuseum.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> while later 16th and 17th century models (also known as ''[[koncerz]]'') were one-handed and used by cavalry.<ref>[http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/hhm48.pl?f=NR&c=38382&t=temartic_1_D&db=kat48_1.txt] {{dead link|date=October 2015}}</ref>
====Tuck and verdun====
The "tuck" (French ''[[estoc]]'', Italian ''stocco''){{citation needed|date=September 2013}} is an edgeless blade of square or triangular cross-section used for thrusting.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} In French, ''estoc'' also means thrust or point; and ''estoc et taille'' means cut and thrust.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
The tuck may also get its name from the verb "to tuck" which means "to shorten".{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
====Small-sword====
The '''[[small sword]]''' or '''smallsword''' (also '''court sword''', fr: ''épée de cour'' or '''dress sword'''){{citation needed|date=September 2013}} is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late [[Renaissance]].{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} The height of the small sword's popularity was between the mid-17th and late 18th century.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} It is thought to have appeared in [[France]] and spread quickly across the rest of [[Europe]].{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} The small sword was the immediate predecessor of the Épée de Combat from which the [[Épée]] developed<ref>
Evangelista, Nick. The Encyclopedia of the Sword. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995. p. 208
</ref> and its method of use—as typified in the works of such authors as Sieur de Liancour, [[Domenico Angelo]], Monsieur J. Olivier, and Monsieur L'Abbat—developed into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} Small swords were also used as status symbols and fashion accessories; for most of the 18th century anyone, civilian or military, with pretensions to gentlemanly status would have worn a small sword on a daily basis.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
===Single-edge and curved swords===
These are single-edged, usually thick or curved bladed swords, typically designed for slashing, chopping, severing limbs, tripping or broad sweeping techniques. Swordsmen were trained to use the dulled-side for defensive and blocking techniques.
====Backsword====
The [[backsword]] was a single-edged, straight-bladed sword, typically for military use. This type of sword had a thickened back to the blade (opposite the cutting edge), which gave the blade strength. The backsword blade was cheaper to manufacture than a two-edged blade. This type of sword was first developed in Europe in the 15th century and reflected the emergence of asymmetric guards, which made a two-edged blade somewhat redundant. The backsword reached its greatest use in the 17th and 18th century when many cavalry swords, such as the British [[1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword]], were of this form.
====Dao====
Dao are single-edged [[Chinese sword]]s, primarily used for slashing and chopping. The most common form is also known as the {{nowrap|'''Chinese [[sabre]]'''}}, although those with wider blades are sometimes referred to as {{nowrap|'''Chinese [[broadswords]]'''}}. In China, the dao is considered one of the four traditional weapons, along with the ''[[gun (staff)|gun]]'' (stick or staff), ''[[qiang (spear)|qiang]]'' (spear), and the ''[[jian]]'' (sword). It is considered "The General of All Weapons".
====Hook Sword====
The '''hook sword''', '''twin hooks''', '''''fu tao''''' or '''''shuang gou''''' ({{zh|t=鈎 or 鉤|s=钩|p=Gou}}) also known as ''hu tou gou'' (tiger head hook) is a Chinese weapon traditionally associated with [[Northern Chinese martial arts|northern styles of Chinese martial arts]] and [[Wushu (sport)#Weapons Routines|Wushu weapons routines]], but now often practiced by [[Styles of Chinese martial arts#Southern styles|southern styles]] as well.
====Kopis====
{{main article|kopis}}
Unlike the xiphos, which is a thrusting weapon, the kopis was a hacking weapon in the form of a thick, curved single edged iron sword. In Athenian art, Spartan hoplites were often depicted using a kopis instead of the xiphos, as the kopis was seen as a quintessential "villain" weapon in Greek eyes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancientmilitary.com/spartan-weapons.htm |title=Spartan Weapons |publisher=Ancientmilitary.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
====Katana====
{{main article|katana}}
Historically {{Nihongo|'''katana'''|刀}} were one of the traditionally made {{Nihongo|[[Japanese sword]]s|日本刀|[[Commons:Category:Nihonto|nihontō]]|nihon=Japan tō=sword}}<ref>{{cite book|author=Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani |title=The Development of Controversies: From the Early Modern Period to Online Discussion Forums |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PtBci2GslUkC&pg=PA150|year=2008 |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=978-3-03911-711-6 |page=150}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Evans Lansing Smith |author2=Nathan Robert Brown |title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Mythology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f-RsCs5dJRwC&pg=PA144|year=2008 |publisher=Alpha Books |isbn=978-1-59257-764-4 |page=144}}</ref> that were used by the [[samurai]] of feudal Japan.<ref name="Nagayama">{{Anchor|Nagayama}}{{cite book| author = Kokan Nagayama, trans. Kenji Mishina| title = The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords| publisher = Kodansha International Ltd.| year = 1997| location = Tokyo, Japan| isbn = 4-7700-2071-6}}</ref> Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods. The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.
====Hanger====
The [[Hanger (sword)|hanger]] (Obs. ''whinyard, whinger, cuttoe''), wood-knife or [[hunting sword]] is a long knife or short sword that hangs from the belt and was popular as both a hunting tool and weapon of war.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XnnlOcLAnBIC&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=hanger+wood-knife+hunting-swords&source=bl&ots=ECZJ8Pqv-d&sig=IVu7L1u2ojaC4WsrPEayWlq3N1s&hl=en#v=onepage&q=hanger%20wood-knife%20hunting-swords&f=false |title=Hunting Weapons: From the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century |author=Howard L. Blackmore |page=14 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myarmoury.com/review_ve_hanger.html |title=European Hanger |publisher=myArmoury.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
====Falchion and cutlass====
The [[falchion]] (French ''braquemart'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/glossairearcheol01gayv#page/212/mode/1up |title=Glossaire archéologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance |publisher=Archive.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> Spanish ''bracamarte'') proper is a wide straight-bladed but curved edged [[Hanger (sword)|hanger]] or long knife.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/glossairearcheol01gayv#page/213/mode/1up |title=Glossaire archéologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance |publisher=Archive.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> The term falchion may also refer to the early [[cutlass]].
The [[cutlass]] or curtal-axe also known as a falchion (French ''badelaire, braquemart,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guerriers-avalon.org/index.php?id=docs&cat=armement&page=braquemar |title=Les Guerriers d'Avalon |publisher=Guerriers-avalon.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> coutelas,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/glossairearcheol01gayv#page/479/mode/1up |title=Glossaire archéologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance |publisher=Archive.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> malchus'' Italian ''coltellaccio, storta'', German ''[[messer (weapon)|messer]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/messerdrawing.htm |title=Historical Messer Drawings |publisher=Albion-swords.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> dussack, malchus'') is a broad-bladed curved [[Hanger (sword)|hanger]] or long knife. In later usage, the cutlass referred to the short naval boarding [[sabre]].{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
====Sabre====
The [[sabre]] (US saber) or shable (French ''sabre'', Spanish ''sable'', Italian ''sciabola'', German ''sabel'' or ''säbel'', Russian ''sablya'', Hungarian ''szablya'', Polish ''szabla'', Ukrainian ''shablya'') is a single-edged curved bladed cavalry sword.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=108 |title=Ethnographic Arms & Armour - Article: Notes on development of modern sabers - Role of Eastern Europe & the Hussars |publisher=Vikingsword.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
====Scimitar====
The [[scimitar]] (French ''cimeterre'', Italian ''scimitarra'') is a type of saber that came to refer in general to any sabre used by the Turks or Ottomans (''[[kilij]]''), Persians (''[[shamshir]]'') and more specifically the ''[[Stradioti]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Stradioti.html |title=Stradioti: Balkan Mercenaries In Fifteenth And Sixteenth Century Italy |publisher=Shsu.edu |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> (Albanian and Greek mercenaries who fought in the French-Italian Wars and were employed throughout Western Europe).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://littre.reverso.net/dictionnaire-francais/definition/estradiot/29286 |title=estradiot : définition de estradiot, citations, exemples et usage pour estradiot dans le dictionnaire de français Littré adapté du grand dictionnaire de la langue française d'Emile Littré |publisher=Littre.reverso.net |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/glossairearcheol01gayv#page/382/mode/2up |title=Glossaire archéologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance |publisher=Archive.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> The scimitar proper was the ''Stradioti'' saber,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p9lA00v1LdUC&pg=PA267&lpg=PA267&dq=cimeterre+estradiots&source=bl&ots=ygUL0TTdZX&sig=aSE3uWbLHj3slIOsL_7HW5EGI-Q&hl=en#v=onepage&q=cimeterre%20estradiots&f=fals |title=Oeuvres complčtes de Bossuet |author=Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet |page=267 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gMoOAQAAMAAJ&pg=PT70&lpg=PT70&dq=cimeterre+estradiots&source=bl&ots=wDSQ-HqENT&sig=LlIYJ_h1UInP8WZQ8Unu_pa1ZVk&hl=en#v=onepage&q=cimeterre%20estradiots&f=false |title=Le costume historique: Cinq cents planches, trois cents en couleurs, or et ... |author=Auguste Racinet |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> and the term was introduced into France by [[Philippe de Commines]] (1447 – 18 October 1511) as ''cimeterre'',<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CLFN_1R_jBgC&pg=PA190&lpg=PA190&dq=cimeterre+estradiots&source=bl&ots=1GusO7XQDk&sig=0npInZ9xvzmTw_5lk9u18bgBw1A&hl=en#v=onepage&q=cimeterre%20estradiots&f=false |title=Des princes français, rois de Sicile, rois de Naples |page=190 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> Italy (especially the Venetian Republic who hired the ''stradioti'' as mercenaries) as ''scimitarra'', and England as ''cimeter'' or scimitar via the French and Italian terms.
==See also==
* {{format link|List of premodern combat weapons#Swords}}
* [[Types of swords]]
* [[History of the sword]]
* [[Oakeshott typology]]
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Swords}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_l-WgEQjpU Best and most powerful martial arts, fight science]
{{Swords by region}}
[[Category:Swords]]
[[Category:Blade weapons]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | 'Great swords are big sticks with cats at the end.
.
==Classification by blade type==
===Double-edge and straight swords===
These are double-edged, usually straight bladed swords.
====Jian====
[[Jian]] ({{zh|t=劍|s=剑|p=jiàn}}; [[Cantonese]]: Gim) is a double-edged straight [[sword]] used during the last 2,500 years in [[China]]. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE during the [[Spring and Autumn period]];<ref>Ebrey 1999, p. 41</ref> one of the earliest specimens being the [[Sword of Goujian]]. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from {{convert|45|to|80|cm|in|abbr=off|sp=us}} in length. The weight of an average sword of {{convert|70|cm|in|abbr=off|adj=on}} blade-length would be in a range of approximately 700 to 900 grams (1.5 to 2 pounds).<ref>Rodell 2003, p. 19</ref> There are also larger two-handed versions used for training by many styles of [[Chinese martial arts]].
====Longsword====
These days, the term [[longsword]] most frequently refers to a late Medieval and Renaissance weapon designed for use with two hands.
The [[Early Modern German|German]] ''[[langes Schwert]]'' ("long sword") in 15th-century [[Fechtbuch|manuals]] did not necessarily denote a type of weapon, but the technique of fencing with both hands at the hilt.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
The French ''épée bâtarde'' and the English ''bastard sword'' originate in the 15th or 16th century,{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} originally having the general sense of "irregular sword or sword of uncertain origin". ''Qui n'était ni Française, ni Espagnole, ni proprement Lansquenette, mais plus longue que ces fortes épées''. ("[a sword] which was neither French, nor Spanish, nor properly ''[[Landsknecht]]'' [German], but longer than any of these sturdy swords.")<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UCY_AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA129 |title=Oeuvres - François Rabelais (écrivain), César de Missy, Jacob Le Duchat, Louis-Fabricius Dubourg, Bernard Picart, Pieter Tanjé, Balthasar Bernaerts, Jacob Folkema |page=129 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> ''Espée bastarde'' could also historically refer to a single-handed sword with a fairly long blade compared to other short swords.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZRcVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA51 |title=Dictionnaire historique de l'ancien langage françois: ou Glossaire de la ... - Sainte-Palaye (M. de La Curne de, Jean-Baptiste de La Curne) |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
[[Joseph Swetnam]] states that the bastard sword is midway in length between a arming sword and a long sword,<ref name="historical-academyii"/> and Randall Cotgrave's definition seems to imply this, as well. The French ''épée de passot'' was also known as ''épée bâtarde''{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} (i.e., bastard sword) and also ''coustille à croix''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aoIH0RDluwUC&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=COUSTILLE+%C3%A0+CROIX&source=bl&ots=MeDJ4LApyu&sig=zBO8t2AIre2HI0e1iXS0oAq69qQ&hl=en#v=onepage&q=COUSTILLE%20%C3%A0%20CROIX&f=false |title=Notes and Queries |page=116 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> (literally a cross-hilted blade). The term referred to a medieval single-handed sword optimized for thrusting.<ref name="google1">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYM-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq=rabelais+longue+epee&source=bl&ots=HSJuYK4SkI&sig=RM3H5K8aEZ_kYWLL3Jqtawgj7DY&hl=en#v=snippet&q=longue%20epee&f=false |title=Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue françoise - Gilles Ménage, Pierre Borel, Auguste François Jault, Pierre de Caseneuve, H. P. Simon de Val-Hébert |page=129 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> The ''épée de passot'' was the sidearm of the ''[[franc-archer]]''s (French or Breton bowmen of the 15th and 16th centuries).<ref name="google2">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cT28RzoK_YAC&pg=RA1-PA563&lpg=RA1-PA563&dq=%C3%A9p%C3%A9e+de+passot&source=bl&ots=a8zQco4M_c&sig=W15q9fxOFjguzt1LnphjpndC05c&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%C3%A9p%C3%A9e%20de%20passot&f=false |title=Dictionnaire étymologique, critique, historique, anecdotique et littéraire ... - François-Joseph-Michel Noël |page=563 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> The term ''passot'' comes from the fact that these swords passed (''passaient'') the length of a "normal" short sword.<ref name="google2"/>
The "Masters of Defence" competition organised by [[Henry VIII]] in July 1540 listed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=27500&sid=676c6db843722a1d15120893efbd544c |title=Sword types in prize playing - The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts |publisher=Thearma.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> ''two hande sworde'', ''bastard sworde'', and ''longe sworde'' as separate items (as it should in Joseph Swetnam's context).<ref>Joseph Strutt ''The sports and pastimes of the people of England from the earliest period: including the rural and domestic recreations, May games, mummeries, pageants, processions and pompous spectacles'', 1801, [https://books.google.com/books?id=eJwSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA211&dq=%22long+sword%22++%22bastard+sword%22&hl=en&ei=T0ILTqC0MYKd-wbBruzOAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22long%20sword%22%20%20%22bastard%20sword%22&f=false p. 211].</ref><ref name="iceweasel1">{{cite web|url=http://iceweasel.org/lmod_analysis.html |title=London Masters of Defense |publisher=Iceweasel.org |date=1998-05-29 |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://iceweasel.org/lmod.html |title=The London Masters of Defense |publisher=Iceweasel.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
Antiquarian usage in the 19th century established the use of "bastard sword" as referring unambiguously to these large swords.<ref>Oakeshott (1980).</ref> However, [[George Silver]] and Joseph Swetnam refer to them merely as ''two hande sworde''. The term "[[hand-and-a-half sword]]" is modern (late 19th century).<ref name="google3">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=BjQLTsC8A8ao8AOSiJ2EAQ&ct=result&id=cGgPAAAAYAAJ&dq=%2B%22hand-and-a-half%22+%2Bsword&q=%2B%22hand-and-a-half%22+#search_anchor |title=Exhibition of the Royal House of Tudor |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
During the first half of the 20th century, the term "bastard sword" was used regularly to refer to this type of sword.<ref name="google149">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CpYKAQAAIAAJ&q=%22long+sword%22++%22bastard+sword%22&dq=%22long+sword%22++%22bastard+sword%22&hl=en&ei=F0ILTouUIoOf-wb59KDPAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA |title=A General Guide to the Wallace Collection - Wallace Collection (London, England), Trenchard Cox |via=[[Google Books]]|date=2009-02-23 |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
The [[Elizabethan]] long sword (cf. George Silver<ref name="umass1">{{cite web|url=http://www.umass.edu/renaissance/lord/pdfs/Silver_1599.pdf |format=PDF |title=The Raymond J. Lord Collection of Historical Combat Treatises and fencing manuals : Terms of Use |publisher=Umass.edu |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> and Joseph Swetnam) is a single-handed "cut-and-thrust" sword with a {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} blade<ref name="historical-academyii">{{cite web|url=http://historical-academy.co.uk/blog/2011/07/29/a-perfect-length-ii-the-longsword/ |title=A Perfect Length II: The Longsword | Encased in Steel |publisher=Historical-academy.co.uk |date=2011-07-29 |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> similar to the long rapier. "Let thy (long) Rapier or (long) Sword be foure foote at the least, and thy dagger two foote." Historical terms (15th to 16th century) for this type of sword included the [[Italian language|Italian]] ''spada longa (lunga)'' and [[Middle French|French]] ''épée longue''.
The term '''longsword''' has also been used to refer to different kinds of sword depending on historical context:
* ''[[Bidenhänder]]'' or two-hander, a late Renaissance sword of the 16th century ''Landsknechte'', the longest sword of all;
* the long "[[Spada da lato|side sword]]" or "[[rapier]]"<ref name="salvatorfabris1" /> with a cutting edge (the [[Elizabethan]] long sword).
====Broadsword====
The basket-hilted sword was a
* [[Claymore]]<ref name="google4">{{cite book|title=A Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides, 1772|author=Pennant, T.|year=1776|issue=v. 2|publisher=B. White|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=liIJAAAAQAAJ}}</ref>
* [[Basket-hilted sword]]<ref name="myarmoury">{{cite web|url=http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_euroedge.html#broadsword|title=Forms of European Edged Weaponry -- myArmoury.com|publisher=myarmoury.com|accessdate=2014-05-27}}</ref>
* [[Sabre]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3noSAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA225&lpg=PA225&dq=espadon+backsword&source=bl&ots=-G-V2UnRzf&sig=eVea3HuVYAG5sfOeA2YzOyGFd1Y&hl=en#v=onepage&q=broad-sword&f=false |title=Boyer's French Dictionary: Comprising All the Additions and Improvements of ... |author1=Abel Boyer |author2=William Bentley Fowle |page=225 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
It must be noted that the term [[broadsword]] was never used historically to describe the one-handed [[arming sword]].{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} The arming sword was wrongly labelled a broadsword by antiquarians as the medieval swords were similar in blade width to the military swords of the day (that were also sometimes labeled as broadswords) and broader than the dueling swords and ceremonial dress swords.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}
====Long knife and short sword====
Knives such as the [[seax]] and other blades of similar length - between 1 and 2 feet ( ˜ 30 cm and 60 cm) - are sometimes construed as “swords”. This is especially the case for weapons from antiquity, made before the development of high quality steel that is necessary for longer swords.
*[[Iron Age sword]]s
**''[[Seax]]'', a tool and weapon, common in Northern Europe.
**''[[Gladius]]'', an early ancient Roman blade
**''[[Xiphos]]'', a double-edged, single-hand blade used by the ancient Greeks;
*certain Renaissance era sidearms:
**[[Baselard]], a late medieval heavy dagger;
**''[[Cinquedea]]'', a civilian long dagger;
**[[Dirk]], the Scottish long dagger (''biodag'');
**[[Hanger (sword)|Hanger]] or wood-knife, a type of [[hunting sword]] or infantry [[sabre]];
*certain [[fascine knife|fascine knives]]:
**[[Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword]], a blade of about 25 inches in length designed after the Roman ''gladius''. Also known as a ''coupe-chou'' (literally a cabbage cutter) in France.
Oversized two-handers used as parade swords or ceremonial weapons often exceeded the length and weight of practical weapons of war.
===Edgeless and thrusting swords===
The edgeless swords category comprises weapons which are related to or labeled as “swords” but do not emphasise "hacking or slashing techniques" or have any "cutting edges" whatsoever. The majority of these elongated weapons were designed for agility, precision and rapid thrusting blows to exploit gaps in the enemy's defenses; some are capable of piercing [[iron]] or [[steel]] armour.
====Xiphos====
The ''[[Spartan army|Spartiatēs]]'' were always armed with a ''[[xiphos]]'' as a secondary weapon. Among most Greek warriors, this weapon had an iron blade of about 60 centimetres. The Spartan version was typically only 30-45 centimetres. The Spartan's shorter weapon proved deadly in the crush caused by colliding phalanx formations – it was capable of being thrust through gaps in the enemy's shield wall and armor, where there was no room for longer weapons. The groin and throat were among the favorite targets. In one account, an Athenian asked a Spartan why his sword was so short and after a short pause he replied, "It's long enough to reach your heart."
====Rapier====
The term "[[rapiero]]" appeared in the English lexicon via the French ''épée rapière'' which either compared the weapon to a rasp or file; it may be a corruption of "rasping sword"<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rapier |title=Rapier | Define Rapier at Dictionary.com |publisher=Dictionary.reference.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> which referred to the sound the blade makes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lemondededartagnan.fr/SITE/ENG/cape_epeehisto.htm |title=Le Monde De D Artagnan |language=fr |publisher=Lemondededartagnan.fr |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> when it comes into contact with another blade. Note that there is no historical Italian equivalent to the English word "rapier".<ref name="salvatorfabris1"/>
====Panzerstecher and koncerz====
The ''[[Panzerstecher]]'' is a German and East European weapon with a long, edgeless blade of square or triangular cross-section for penetrating armour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dict.cc/german-english/Panzerstecher+%5BBlankwaffe%5D.html |title=dictionary :: Panzerstecher [Blankwaffe] :: German-English translation |publisher=Dict.cc |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myarmoury.com/review_mrl_estoc.html |title=English Tuck (Estoc) |publisher=myArmoury.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?48815-What-s-a-Panzerstecher |title=What's a Panzerstecher? |publisher=Swordforum.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> Early models were either two-handers or “hand-and-half” hilted,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/211938.html?mulR=22466 |title=Philadelphia Museum of Art - Collections Object : Tuck (Panzerstecher) |publisher=Philamuseum.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> while later 16th and 17th century models (also known as ''[[koncerz]]'') were one-handed and used by cavalry.<ref>[http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/hhm48.pl?f=NR&c=38382&t=temartic_1_D&db=kat48_1.txt] {{dead link|date=October 2015}}</ref>
====Tuck and verdun====
The "tuck" (French ''[[estoc]]'', Italian ''stocco''){{citation needed|date=September 2013}} is an edgeless blade of square or triangular cross-section used for thrusting.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} In French, ''estoc'' also means thrust or point; and ''estoc et taille'' means cut and thrust.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
The tuck may also get its name from the verb "to tuck" which means "to shorten".{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
====Small-sword====
The '''[[small sword]]''' or '''smallsword''' (also '''court sword''', fr: ''épée de cour'' or '''dress sword'''){{citation needed|date=September 2013}} is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late [[Renaissance]].{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} The height of the small sword's popularity was between the mid-17th and late 18th century.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} It is thought to have appeared in [[France]] and spread quickly across the rest of [[Europe]].{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} The small sword was the immediate predecessor of the Épée de Combat from which the [[Épée]] developed<ref>
Evangelista, Nick. The Encyclopedia of the Sword. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995. p. 208
</ref> and its method of use—as typified in the works of such authors as Sieur de Liancour, [[Domenico Angelo]], Monsieur J. Olivier, and Monsieur L'Abbat—developed into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} Small swords were also used as status symbols and fashion accessories; for most of the 18th century anyone, civilian or military, with pretensions to gentlemanly status would have worn a small sword on a daily basis.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
===Single-edge and curved swords===
These are single-edged, usually thick or curved bladed swords, typically designed for slashing, chopping, severing limbs, tripping or broad sweeping techniques. Swordsmen were trained to use the dulled-side for defensive and blocking techniques.
====Backsword====
The [[backsword]] was a single-edged, straight-bladed sword, typically for military use. This type of sword had a thickened back to the blade (opposite the cutting edge), which gave the blade strength. The backsword blade was cheaper to manufacture than a two-edged blade. This type of sword was first developed in Europe in the 15th century and reflected the emergence of asymmetric guards, which made a two-edged blade somewhat redundant. The backsword reached its greatest use in the 17th and 18th century when many cavalry swords, such as the British [[1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword]], were of this form.
====Dao====
Dao are single-edged [[Chinese sword]]s, primarily used for slashing and chopping. The most common form is also known as the {{nowrap|'''Chinese [[sabre]]'''}}, although those with wider blades are sometimes referred to as {{nowrap|'''Chinese [[broadswords]]'''}}. In China, the dao is considered one of the four traditional weapons, along with the ''[[gun (staff)|gun]]'' (stick or staff), ''[[qiang (spear)|qiang]]'' (spear), and the ''[[jian]]'' (sword). It is considered "The General of All Weapons".
====Hook Sword====
The '''hook sword''', '''twin hooks''', '''''fu tao''''' or '''''shuang gou''''' ({{zh|t=鈎 or 鉤|s=钩|p=Gou}}) also known as ''hu tou gou'' (tiger head hook) is a Chinese weapon traditionally associated with [[Northern Chinese martial arts|northern styles of Chinese martial arts]] and [[Wushu (sport)#Weapons Routines|Wushu weapons routines]], but now often practiced by [[Styles of Chinese martial arts#Southern styles|southern styles]] as well.
====Kopis====
{{main article|kopis}}
Unlike the xiphos, which is a thrusting weapon, the kopis was a hacking weapon in the form of a thick, curved single edged iron sword. In Athenian art, Spartan hoplites were often depicted using a kopis instead of the xiphos, as the kopis was seen as a quintessential "villain" weapon in Greek eyes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancientmilitary.com/spartan-weapons.htm |title=Spartan Weapons |publisher=Ancientmilitary.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
====Katana====
{{main article|katana}}
Historically {{Nihongo|'''katana'''|刀}} were one of the traditionally made {{Nihongo|[[Japanese sword]]s|日本刀|[[Commons:Category:Nihonto|nihontō]]|nihon=Japan tō=sword}}<ref>{{cite book|author=Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani |title=The Development of Controversies: From the Early Modern Period to Online Discussion Forums |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PtBci2GslUkC&pg=PA150|year=2008 |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=978-3-03911-711-6 |page=150}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Evans Lansing Smith |author2=Nathan Robert Brown |title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Mythology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f-RsCs5dJRwC&pg=PA144|year=2008 |publisher=Alpha Books |isbn=978-1-59257-764-4 |page=144}}</ref> that were used by the [[samurai]] of feudal Japan.<ref name="Nagayama">{{Anchor|Nagayama}}{{cite book| author = Kokan Nagayama, trans. Kenji Mishina| title = The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords| publisher = Kodansha International Ltd.| year = 1997| location = Tokyo, Japan| isbn = 4-7700-2071-6}}</ref> Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods. The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.
====Hanger====
The [[Hanger (sword)|hanger]] (Obs. ''whinyard, whinger, cuttoe''), wood-knife or [[hunting sword]] is a long knife or short sword that hangs from the belt and was popular as both a hunting tool and weapon of war.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XnnlOcLAnBIC&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=hanger+wood-knife+hunting-swords&source=bl&ots=ECZJ8Pqv-d&sig=IVu7L1u2ojaC4WsrPEayWlq3N1s&hl=en#v=onepage&q=hanger%20wood-knife%20hunting-swords&f=false |title=Hunting Weapons: From the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century |author=Howard L. Blackmore |page=14 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myarmoury.com/review_ve_hanger.html |title=European Hanger |publisher=myArmoury.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
====Falchion and cutlass====
The [[falchion]] (French ''braquemart'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/glossairearcheol01gayv#page/212/mode/1up |title=Glossaire archéologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance |publisher=Archive.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> Spanish ''bracamarte'') proper is a wide straight-bladed but curved edged [[Hanger (sword)|hanger]] or long knife.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/glossairearcheol01gayv#page/213/mode/1up |title=Glossaire archéologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance |publisher=Archive.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> The term falchion may also refer to the early [[cutlass]].
The [[cutlass]] or curtal-axe also known as a falchion (French ''badelaire, braquemart,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guerriers-avalon.org/index.php?id=docs&cat=armement&page=braquemar |title=Les Guerriers d'Avalon |publisher=Guerriers-avalon.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> coutelas,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/glossairearcheol01gayv#page/479/mode/1up |title=Glossaire archéologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance |publisher=Archive.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> malchus'' Italian ''coltellaccio, storta'', German ''[[messer (weapon)|messer]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/messerdrawing.htm |title=Historical Messer Drawings |publisher=Albion-swords.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> dussack, malchus'') is a broad-bladed curved [[Hanger (sword)|hanger]] or long knife. In later usage, the cutlass referred to the short naval boarding [[sabre]].{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
====Sabre====
The [[sabre]] (US saber) or shable (French ''sabre'', Spanish ''sable'', Italian ''sciabola'', German ''sabel'' or ''säbel'', Russian ''sablya'', Hungarian ''szablya'', Polish ''szabla'', Ukrainian ''shablya'') is a single-edged curved bladed cavalry sword.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=108 |title=Ethnographic Arms & Armour - Article: Notes on development of modern sabers - Role of Eastern Europe & the Hussars |publisher=Vikingsword.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref>
====Scimitar====
The [[scimitar]] (French ''cimeterre'', Italian ''scimitarra'') is a type of saber that came to refer in general to any sabre used by the Turks or Ottomans (''[[kilij]]''), Persians (''[[shamshir]]'') and more specifically the ''[[Stradioti]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Stradioti.html |title=Stradioti: Balkan Mercenaries In Fifteenth And Sixteenth Century Italy |publisher=Shsu.edu |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> (Albanian and Greek mercenaries who fought in the French-Italian Wars and were employed throughout Western Europe).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://littre.reverso.net/dictionnaire-francais/definition/estradiot/29286 |title=estradiot : définition de estradiot, citations, exemples et usage pour estradiot dans le dictionnaire de français Littré adapté du grand dictionnaire de la langue française d'Emile Littré |publisher=Littre.reverso.net |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/glossairearcheol01gayv#page/382/mode/2up |title=Glossaire archéologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance |publisher=Archive.org |date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> The scimitar proper was the ''Stradioti'' saber,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p9lA00v1LdUC&pg=PA267&lpg=PA267&dq=cimeterre+estradiots&source=bl&ots=ygUL0TTdZX&sig=aSE3uWbLHj3slIOsL_7HW5EGI-Q&hl=en#v=onepage&q=cimeterre%20estradiots&f=fals |title=Oeuvres complčtes de Bossuet |author=Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet |page=267 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gMoOAQAAMAAJ&pg=PT70&lpg=PT70&dq=cimeterre+estradiots&source=bl&ots=wDSQ-HqENT&sig=LlIYJ_h1UInP8WZQ8Unu_pa1ZVk&hl=en#v=onepage&q=cimeterre%20estradiots&f=false |title=Le costume historique: Cinq cents planches, trois cents en couleurs, or et ... |author=Auguste Racinet |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> and the term was introduced into France by [[Philippe de Commines]] (1447 – 18 October 1511) as ''cimeterre'',<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CLFN_1R_jBgC&pg=PA190&lpg=PA190&dq=cimeterre+estradiots&source=bl&ots=1GusO7XQDk&sig=0npInZ9xvzmTw_5lk9u18bgBw1A&hl=en#v=onepage&q=cimeterre%20estradiots&f=false |title=Des princes français, rois de Sicile, rois de Naples |page=190 |via=[[Google Books]]|date= |accessdate=2015-10-08}}</ref> Italy (especially the Venetian Republic who hired the ''stradioti'' as mercenaries) as ''scimitarra'', and England as ''cimeter'' or scimitar via the French and Italian terms.
==See also==
* {{format link|List of premodern combat weapons#Swords}}
* [[Types of swords]]
* [[History of the sword]]
* [[Oakeshott typology]]
==External links==
{{Commons category|Swords}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_l-WgEQjpU Best and most powerful martial arts, fight science]
{{Swords by region}}
[[Category:Swords]]
[[Category:Blade weapons]]' |
