[RobT]

an,

On page 13, Waelty begins his discussion of the Moroccan khanjar by saying that, although the word khanjar is applied to various daggers in a number of countries in the Moslem world, the Moroccan khanjar is separate and distinct from the others. Waelty then goes on to describe these differences (pgs 13-14). If, as you say, the Persian derived word refers to a double edged dagger, then the Moroccan version that Waelty describes differs very significantly as it is single edged.
It would appear that the origins of the word koummya are murky, as Waelty acknowledges (citing Delphy) on page 7, footnote 3. Also in that footnote, Waelty says, “Regarding the etymology of names in the context of stabbing and stabbing weapons, see Fischer (1899)”. I have repeatedly searched online for a convincing koummya etymology and the only thing I have found is an AI Overview that says the word “traces back to the Arabic word for dagger or knife, specifically referring to a curved blade dagger worn under the sleeve or up the sleeve. The term is also related to the Spanish word ‘gumia’ , which also derives from the Arabic koummya”.
As far as the loummya being a regional type of khanjar, one could just as correctly say it is a regional jambiya variant (which is how Stone classifies it in his glossary).
However. all of the above word origin discussion is is irrelevant as it applies to the matter at hand. What is germane is that, if Waelty and Buttin are to be believed, when the koummya and khanjar were worn in Morocco as weapons and everyday male attire, they were superficially similar but really completely different in form, use, and geographic origin. Furthermore, the hybridization of the two forms only happened (or perhaps was only possible) when they were ceasing to be likely to be used. This later appearing hybrid notwithstanding, in the context of Morocco (if Waelty and Buttin are correct), it is as improper to call a koummya a khanjar as it is to call a khanjar a koummya.

Sincerely,
RobT