Editing Classification of swords (section)

{{Short description|Types of swords}}
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{{original research|date=October 2012}}
[[File:Hand-and-a-Half Sword MET DP146428.jpg|thumb|358x358px|Hand-and-a-half sword, probably German, {{Circa|1400–1430}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hand-and-a-Half Sword |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/27966 |access-date=9 June 2023 |website=[[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]}}</ref>]]
The English language terminology used in the '''classification of [[sword]]s''' is imprecise and has varied widely over time. There is no historical dictionary for the universal names, classification, or terminology of swords; a sword was simply a single-edged or double-edged knife that grew incrementally longer and more complex with technological advances.

Historical terms without a universal consensus of definition (e.g. "arming sword", "broadsword", "long sword", etc.) were used to label weapons of similar appearance but of different historical periods, regional cultures, and fabrication technology. These terms were often described in relation to other unrelated weapons, without regard to their intended use and fighting style. In [[modern history]], many of these terms have been given specific, often arbitrary meanings that are unrelated to any of their historical meanings.

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