X Marks the Scot - An on-line community of kilt wearers.
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24th November 19, 03:13 PM
#15
 Originally Posted by neloon
This is a linguistic difficulty that will probably not go away. "claidheamh" is generally taken to be cognate with English "cleaver" and, obviously, a basket-hilted sword is a thruster rather than a cleaver. But both words go back to the Proto-Indo-European word *kladiwos , meaning any kind of sword, the English form having come via Proto-Germanic, German and Dutch. Gaelic/Irish kept the rather vague original meaning of sword whereas English/Scots changed the meaning from a two-handed affair to a basket-hilted sword around 1620
"The true claymore came into use probably late in the fifteenth century and continued until the early part of the seventeenth century, when it was replaced by the single-edged broadsword with a basket hilt, to which the name “claymore” was transferred."
( W. R. Kermack, The Scottish Highlands: A Short History (Edinburgh and London, 1957).
I'm not sure that that helps you very much!
Alan
Alan, I have to disagree with you regarding the basket hilt as a thrusting weapon. While any sword with blade which comes to a point can be used as such, a claymore like the one which is my "icon" for lack of a better term, is definitely a cutting blade, which is true of all these swords hilted in Scotland. Backsword or broadsword, cutting was what it was about. Of course when the opportunity presented itself thrusting was also put into play. The one pictured has a blade that is two inches wide at the hilt and gradually tapers down. It is sharp. The catalog of fighting techniques for use with these swords is light on thrusting.
"Is fhurasda buill 'an treun-fhir aithneachadh." transl..The mighty man's stroke is easily known. This is a Gaelic proverb from Highland Broadsword by Christopher Scott Thompson
DS s Hilt IV.jpg
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