Editing Xiphos (section)

== Etymology ==
[[File:Iron_xiphos,_Thessaloniki_museum.jpg|left|thumb|Iron ''xiphos'', Thessaloniki museum]]
[[George Cameron Stone|Stone's ''Glossary'']] has ''xiphos'' being a name used by Homer for a sword. The entry in the book says that the sword had a double-edged blade widest at about two-thirds of its length from the point, and ending in a very long point.<ref>George Cameron Stone, ''A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor''</ref> 

The word is attested in [[Mycenaean Greek]] [[Linear B]] form as {{lang|gmy|𐀥𐀯𐀟𐀁}}, ''{{lang|gmy-Latn|qi-si-pe-e}}''.{{refn|group=n|''Qi-si-pe-e'' is thought to be the [[Dual (grammatical number)|dual number]] [[nominative case]] form of *''qi-si-po''; that is, its meaning is "two swords". It is found on the [[Pylos|PY]] Ta 716 tablet.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.palaeolexicon.com/ShowWord.aspx?Id=16755|title=The Linear B word qi-si-pe-e |publisher=Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of Ancient languages}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://minoan.deaditerranean.com/resources/linear-b-sign-groups/qi/qi-si-pe-e/|title=qi-si-pe-e|work=Minoan Linear A & Mycenaean Linear B|last=Raymoure|first=K. A.|publisher=Deaditerranean|access-date=2014-03-21|archive-date=2016-03-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319205406/http://minoan.deaditerranean.com/resources/linear-b-sign-groups/qi/qi-si-pe-e/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=PY 716 Ta (2)|website=DĀMOS: Database of Mycenaean at Oslo|url=https://www2.hf.uio.no/damos/Index/item/chosen_item_id/4982|publisher=[[University of Oslo]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first=Alfred|last=Heubeck|title=MYKENISCH *''qi-si-po'' = ξίφος|journal=Minos|volume=6|year=1958|pages=114&ndash;116|language=de}}</ref>
Mycenaean {{lang|gmy|𐀞𐀏𐀙}}, ''pa-ka-na'', could be an attested form of {{lang|grc|φάσγανον}}, ''phasganon'', the famous [[Homer]]ic word for sword.<ref>{{LSJ|fa/sganon|φάσγανον|shortref}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.palaeolexicon.com/ShowWord.aspx?Id=16840|title=The Linear B word pa-ka-na|publisher=Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of Ancient languages}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://minoan.deaditerranean.com/resources/linear-b-sign-groups/pa/pa-ka-na/|title=pa-ka-na|work=Minoan Linear A & Mycenaean Linear B|last=Raymoure|first=K.A.|publisher=Deaditerranean|access-date=2014-03-21|archive-date=2013-10-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013061210/http://minoan.deaditerranean.com/resources/linear-b-sign-groups/pa/pa-ka-na/|url-status=dead}}</ref> A sword is usually represented iconographically in [[Linear B]] by the [[ideogram]] {{lang|gmy|{{script|Linb|𐃉}}}}.}} A relation to Arabic ''[[Arab sword|saif]]un'' ('a sword')  and Egyptian ''sēfet'' has been suggested, although this does not explain the presence of a [[Labialized velar consonant|labiovelar]] in Mycenaean.<ref>Frisk, ''Griechisches Etymologisches Woerterbuch''</ref> One suggestion connects Ossetic ''äxsirf'' "sickle",<ref>Čop [[Historische Sprachforschung|KZ]] 74, p. 231 f</ref> which would point to a virtual [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] ''*k<sup>w</sup>sibhro-''.