"Archaeologists discovered what appears to be a broken sword with a gold hilt, or handle,..."
Who knew that the technical term of art for that part of a sword (or knife) was called a "hilt"? Now I wonder whether that new word is pronounced with a long "I" or a short one. "Hyelt" or "Hehllt"?
And I wonder if other parts of a sword (or knife) also have technical terms to identify them. For instance, what do you call the round-y weight down at the very end of that handle thing? What about the perpendicular piece of metal that crosses between the handle and the sharp part and seems to guard the user's hand from sliding up too far -- or an adversary's sharp edge from sliding down? Up on the other end, where the metal narrows to a very acute angle so the tool can be stuck right into things -- what's that called? Does the beveled side of the metal have a term to distinguish it from the other side?
2 comments:
Reading the news is so educational!
"Archaeologists discovered what appears to be a broken sword with a gold hilt, or handle,..."
Who knew that the technical term of art for that part of a sword (or knife) was called a "hilt"? Now I wonder whether that new word is pronounced with a long "I" or a short one. "Hyelt" or "Hehllt"?
And I wonder if other parts of a sword (or knife) also have technical terms to identify them. For instance, what do you call the round-y weight down at the very end of that handle thing? What about the perpendicular piece of metal that crosses between the handle and the sharp part and seems to guard the user's hand from sliding up too far -- or an adversary's sharp edge from sliding down? Up on the other end, where the metal narrows to a very acute angle so the tool can be stuck right into things -- what's that called? Does the beveled side of the metal have a term to distinguish it from the other side?
Hyelt. Cool word. Learn something new every day.
Yes.....I knew we were doomed when PBS referred to an octagonal building as an "eight sided structure...."
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