Turkish Shamshir

A.alnakkas · 21st October 2015, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by estcrh

Irrespective of what the different terms mean/meant in different times, countries and cultures "saif" and "kilij" now refers to two different types of swords. Kilij refering to the strictly Ottoman sword with a distintive grip, while saif refers to the sword with the type of grip pictured below, of course people can use whatever term they choose but why use any other term besides kilij for the Ottoman sword with the distinctive kilij grip? If it has a "karabela" grip it is a karabela, if it has a "kilij" grip it is a kilij, if it has a "saif" grip it is a saif.

Why is an Indian hilt design is identified with the Arab word for sword?

A.alnakkas · 21st October 2015, 03:56 PM

The word saif predates this hilt design by well, quite alot of time. The Arabs called swords "saif" (I emphasize that saif simply means sword) even when sword hilts are of a different design. So how come this type of hilt became 'saif' ?

ALEX · 21st October 2015, 04:04 PM

exactly my point, Lotfy. I also did not understand how something would become something else all of the sudden) thank you for making it so clear.

21st October 2015, 03:56 PM	#2
A.alnakkas Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kuwait Posts: 1,340	The word saif predates this hilt design by well, quite alot of time. The Arabs called swords "saif" (I emphasize that saif simply means sword) even when sword hilts are of a different design. So how come this type of hilt became 'saif' ?

21st October 2015, 04:04 PM	#3
ALEX Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 936	exactly my point, Lotfy. I also did not understand how something would become something else all of the sudden) thank you for making it so clear.