Editing Classification of swords (section)

===Double-edge and straight swords===
These are double-edged, usually straight-bladed swords, designed for optimized balance, reach and versatility.

===={{lang|zh-Latn|Jian}}====
{{lang|it|[[Jian]]}} ({{zh|t=劍|s=剑|p=jiàn}}; [[Cantonese]]: {{lang|yue-Latn|gim}}) is a double-edged straight [[sword]] used during the last 2,500 years in [[China]]. The first Chinese sources that mention the {{lang|zh-Latn|jian}} date to the 7th century BC during the [[Spring and Autumn period]];<ref>Ebrey 1999, p. 41</ref> one of the earliest specimens being the [[Sword of Goujian]]. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from {{convert|45|to|80|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length. The weight of an average sword of {{convert|70|cm|abbr=on}} blade-length would weigh about {{convert|700|to|900|g|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref>Rodell 2003, p. 19</ref> There are also larger two-handed versions used by ancient and medieval armies and for training by many styles of [[Chinese martial arts]]. Two handed jians from the time of the [[Chu (state)|Chu]] and [[Han dynasty]] were up to {{convert|58|in|cm|abbr=on}} long.

====Longsword====
In modern times, the term [[longsword]] most frequently refers to a late Medieval and Renaissance weapon designed for use with two hands. The [[Early Modern German|German]] {{lang|de|[[langes Schwert]]}} ("long sword") in 15th-century [[Fechtbuch|manuals]] did not necessarily denote a type of weapon, but the technique of fencing with both hands at the hilt.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}

The French {{lang|fr|épée bâtarde}} and the English ''bastard sword'' originate in the 15th or 16th century,{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} originally having the general sense of "irregular sword or sword of uncertain origin". It was "[a sword] which was neither French, nor Spanish, nor properly {{lang|de|[[Landsknecht]]}} [German], but longer than any of these sturdy swords."<ref>{{lang|fr|"Qui n'était ni Française, ni Espagnole, ni proprement Lansquenette, mais plus longue que ces fortes épées."}} {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UCY_AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA129 |title=Oeuvres |first1=François |last1=Rabelais |first2=César |last2=de Missy |first3=Jacob |last3=Le Duchat |first4=Louis-Fabricius |last4=Dubourg |first5=Bernard |last5=Picart |first6=Pieter |last6=Tanjé |first7=Balthasar |last7=Bernaerts |first8=Jacob |last8=Folkema |page=129 |via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=2022-08-27|year=1741 |publisher=Jean-Frédéric Bernard}}</ref> {{lang|fr|Espée bastarde}} could also historically refer to a single-handed sword with a fairly long blade compared to other short swords.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZRcVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA51 |title=Dictionnaire historique de l'ancien langage françois |first1=Georges Jean |last1=Mouchet |first2=Léon Louis |last2=Pajot |first3=Léopold |last3=Favre |publisher=L. Favre |volume=6 |year=1879 |language=fr |via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=2022-08-27}}</ref>

[[Joseph Swetnam]] states that the bastard sword is midway in length between an arming sword and a long sword,<ref name="historical-academyii"/> and Randall Cotgrave's definition seems to imply this, as well. The French {{lang|fr|épée de passot}} was also known as {{lang|fr|épée bâtarde}}{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} (i.e., bastard sword) and also {{lang|fr|coustille à croix}}<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aoIH0RDluwUC&q=COUSTILLE+%C3%A0+CROIX&pg=PA116 |title=Notes and Queries |year=1890 |page=116 |via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=2015-10-08}}</ref> (literally a cross-hilted blade). The term referred to a medieval single-handed sword optimized for thrusting.<ref name="google1">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYM-AAAAcAAJ&q=longue+epee&pg=PA129 |title=Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue françoise |volume=1 |publisher=Briasson |language=fr |first1=Gilles |last1=Ménage |first2=Pierre |last2=Besnier |first3=Pierre |last3=Borel |first4=Auguste François |last4=Jault |first5=Claude |last5=Chastelain |first6=Pierre |last6=de Caseneuve |first7=H. P. Simon |last7=de Val-Hébert |page=129 |via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=2015-10-08 |year=1750 }}</ref> The {{lang|fr|épée de passot}} was the sidearm of the {{lang|fr|[[franc-archer]]s}} (French or Breton bowmen of the 15th and 16th centuries).<ref name="google2">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cT28RzoK_YAC&q=%C3%A9p%C3%A9e+de+passot&pg=RA1-PA563 |title=Dictionnaire étymologique, critique, historique, anecdotique et littéraire ... - François-Joseph-Michel Noël |page=563 |via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=2015-10-08|last1=Noël |first1=François-Joseph-Michel |year=1857 }}</ref> The term {{lang|fr|passot}} comes from the fact that these swords passed ({{lang|fr|passaient}}) the length of a "normal" short sword.<ref name="google2"/>

The "Masters of Defence" competition organised by [[Henry VIII]] in July 1540 listed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=27500&sid=676c6db843722a1d15120893efbd544c |title=Sword types in prize playing - The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts |publisher=Thearma.org |access-date=2015-10-08}}</ref> "two hande sworde", "bastard sworde", and "longe sworde" as separate items (as it should in Joseph Swetnam's context).<ref>Joseph Strutt, ''The sports and pastimes of the people of England from the earliest period: including the rural and domestic recreations, May games, mummeries, pageants, processions and pompous spectacles'', 1801, [https://books.google.com/books?id=eJwSAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22long+sword%22++%22bastard+sword%22&pg=PA211 p. 211].</ref><ref name="iceweasel1">{{cite web |url=http://iceweasel.org/lmod_analysis.html |title=London Masters of Defense |publisher=Iceweasel.org |date=1998-05-29 |access-date=2015-10-08 |archive-date=2015-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230152744/http://iceweasel.org/lmod_analysis.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://iceweasel.org/lmod.html |title=The London Masters of Defense |publisher=Iceweasel.org |access-date=2015-10-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225000825/http://iceweasel.org/lmod_analysis.html |archive-date=2021-02-25}}</ref>{{sps|date=August 2022}}

Antiquarian usage in the 19th century established the use of "bastard sword" as referring unambiguously to these large swords.<ref>Oakeshott (1980).</ref> However, [[George Silver]] and Joseph Swetnam refer to them merely as "two hande sworde". The term "[[hand-and-a-half sword]]" is modern (late 19th century).<ref name="google3">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cGgPAAAAYAAJ&q=%2B%22hand-and-a-half%22+ |title=Exhibition of the Royal House of Tudor |via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=2015-10-08|last1=New Gallery (London |first1=England) |year=1890 }}</ref> During the first half of the 20th century, the term "bastard sword" was used regularly to refer to this type of sword.<ref name="google149">{{cite book|last=Cox|first=Trenchard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CpYKAQAAIAAJ&q=%22long+sword%22++%22bastard+sword%22|title=A General Guide to the Wallace Collection |publisher=Wallace Collection |location=London, England|date=2009-02-23|isbn=|pages=|access-date=2015-10-08|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

The [[Elizabethan]] long sword (cf. George Silver<ref name="umass1">{{cite web |url=http://www.umass.edu/renaissance/lord/pdfs/Silver_1599.pdf |title=The Raymond J. Lord Collection of Historical Combat Treatises and fencing manuals: Terms of Use |publisher=Umass.edu |access-date=2015-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629204633/http://www.umass.edu/renaissance/lord/pdfs/Silver_1599.pdf |archive-date=2017-06-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Joseph Swetnam) is a single-handed "cut-and-thrust" sword with a {{convert|4|ft|m|abbr=on}} blade<ref name="historical-academyii">{{cite web |url=http://historical-academy.co.uk/blog/2011/07/29/a-perfect-length-ii-the-longsword/ |title=A Perfect Length II: The Longsword &#124; Encased in Steel |publisher=Historical-academy.co.uk |date=2011-07-29 |access-date=2015-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203202734/http://historical-academy.co.uk/blog/2011/07/29/a-perfect-length-ii-the-longsword/ |archive-date=2013-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> similar to the long rapier. "Let thy (long) Rapier or (long) Sword be foure foote at the least, and thy dagger two foote." Historical terms (15th to 16th century) for this type of sword included the [[Italian language|Italian]] {{lang|it|spada longa (lunga)}} and [[Middle French|French]] {{lang|it|épée longue}}.

The term '''longsword''' has been used to refer to different kinds of sword depending on historical context:
* {{lang|de|[[Zweihänder]]}} or two-hander, a late Renaissance sword of the 16th century {{lang|de|Landsknechte}}, the longest sword of all;
* the long "[[Spada da lato|side sword]]" or "[[rapier]]"<ref name="salvatorfabris1" /> with a cutting edge (the [[Elizabethan]] long sword).

===={{lang|la|Spatha}}====

The {{lang|la|[[spatha]]}} was a double-edged longsword used by the Romans. The idea for the {{lang|la|[[spatha]]}} came from the swords of ancient Celts in Germany and Britain. It was longer than the {{lang|la|[[gladius]]}}, and had more reach, so the {{lang|la|[[spatha]]}} was most popular with soldiers in the cavalry. The blade could range between {{convert|0.5|and|1|m|ftin|abbr=on|sp=us}} long while the handle was usually between {{convert|18|and|20|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=2|sp=us}}.
====Broadsword====
* [[Claymore]]<ref name="google4">{{cite book|title=A Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides, 1772|author=Pennant, T.|year=1776|issue=v. 2|publisher=B. White|url=https://archive.org/details/atourinscotland01penngoog}}</ref>
* [[Basket-hilted sword]]<ref name="myarmoury">{{cite web|url=http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_euroedge.html#broadsword|title=Forms of European Edged Weaponry |work=myArmoury.com|access-date=2014-05-27}}</ref>
* [[Sabre]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3noSAAAAIAAJ&q=broad-sword&pg=PA225 |title=Boyer's French Dictionary |author1=Abel Boyer |author2=William Bentley Fowle |year=1835 |page=225 |via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=2015-10-08}}</ref>

The term "[[broadsword]]" was never used historically to describe the one-handed [[arming sword]].{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} The arming sword was wrongly labelled a broadsword by antiquarians as the medieval swords were similar in blade width to the military swords of the day (that were also sometimes labeled as broadswords) and broader than the dueling swords and ceremonial dress swords.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

====Shortswords and daggers====
Knives such as the [[seax]] and other blades of similar length between {{convert|1|and|2|ft|cm|-1|order=flip|abbr=on}}, they are sometimes construed as ''swords'' because of their longer blades. This is especially the case for weapons from antiquity, made before the development of high quality steel that is necessary for longer swords, in particular:

*[[Iron Age sword]]s:
**[[Seax]], a tool and weapon, common in Northern Europe.
**{{lang|la|[[Gladius]]}}, an early ancient Roman thrusting shortsword for [[legionary|legionaries]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Romeinse Rijk §3.1 Landmacht |encyclopedia=[[Encarta]] Encyclopedie [[Winkler Prins]] |date=2002 |publisher=Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum |language=nl}}</ref>
**{{lang|grc-Latn|[[Xiphos]]}}, a double-edged, single-hand blade used by the ancient Greeks;
*Certain Renaissance-era sidearms:
**[[Baselard]], a late medieval heavy dagger;
**{{lang|it|[[Cinquedea]]}}, a civilian long dagger;
**[[Dirk]], the Scottish long dagger ({{lang|gd|biodag}});
**[[Hanger (sword)|Hanger]] or wood-knife, a type of [[hunting sword]] or infantry [[sabre]];
*Certain [[fascine knife|fascine knives]]:
**[[Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword]], is a short sword designed after the Roman {{lang|la|gladius}} with a blade length around {{convert|48|cm|abbr=on}} in length. It was also known as a {{lang|fr|coupe-chou}} (literally "cabbage cutter") in France.

Oversized two-handers used as parade swords or ceremonial weapons often exceeded the length and weight of practical weapons of war.