[Chris Evans]

Ho Gonzalo,

Originally Posted by Gonzalo G

Please let me make some precisions:

1.- In Mexico the spanish is called ´spanish, or instead. ´´castilian´.

I think that to this day, `Castellano' (English:Castillian) is still the correct term for what commonly passes for the vulgate `Spanish', though most whom I converse with, including MS Word, fail to make this distinction. Decades ago, anyone with a pretence to an education would never say "I speak Spanish", rather than "I speak Castillian" - It would appear to me that this convention is fading.

Just can't help feeling that Franco may have had something to do with the vigorous upholding of `Castillian', to counter the regionalist/secessionist tendencies in Spain, but I add that this is mere guessing on my part

2.- The differences among those weapons or tools, are not a matter of frivolous elitism, or aesthetics, but instead, come from their morphology.

You are spot on and this is beyond dispute.

However, illiteracy in Spain and in South America, was extremely widespread right up to WWII, especially in the rural areas, and this muddies the waters considerably due to the synonymity that was imputed to terms such as for example `Facon' with any knife worn by a gaucho and in a part/s of Spain, if I read Forton correctly, `Faca' was used interchangeably with `Navaja'.

As I pointed out in another thread, languages are dominated by conventions, which lend meanings and nuances to words, that are at times irrational or their derivation is outright incorrect - The "Puñal Criollo" is probably the most obvious example that I can bring to this discussion. And once these conventions have taken hold, it will take a very long time to correct the misuse of certain terms, and often we are stuck with them because of the legacy of historical writings.

And then there is the issue of words lapsing into obsolescence, but refusing to disappear completely, such as the English `Bodkin' or Spanish `Rejon' and `Guifero' (both akin to a bodkin, but some possibly with a cutting edge).

4.- Puñal: a very short edged weapon designed to wound with the point. The explanations given by Chris are a good addition to this definition.
Daga (dagger): Edged weapon with guards to defend in the fight, with two, three or four edges.
Cuchilla: Tool made with a wide blade of steel, one edged and with a handle (not a folding knife).
Cuchillo (knife): Tool, one edged, used to cut made with a blade and a handle.

Nicely put.

.....you can check the Diccionario de la Real Academia de la Lengua Espñalola online. If needed, use a translator online. I cannot imagine a more higher authority on this matters, though it is not perfect.

Did a Google for it, but couldn't find a link. Any chance of posting it?

And when was it first compiled?

Cheers
Chris