Kopis/khopsh etc. - Egyptian swords

tom hyle · 22nd March 2005, 01:57 AM

Copis (kopis) is a different sword; N Mediterranean and Central Asian. As I say, it seems based on a sickle (it always incurves; only sometimes does it recurve at the spine, and often enough only the very tip of the edge. Multinational, widespread. Sometimes called falcatta. Sometimes, oddly, with a knuckleguard.
The Afrasian sword (kopsh) seems based on Afrasian fighting broadaxes (rather closely modelled, in length, angle, edge curve). It does not seem related to sickles, but then again it does seem related (mainly in the tip though) to 'Zande etc. sickle-swords. AFAIK copis and kopsh may very well be the same word, but they properly refer to two quite different styles, with some overlap of features in some cases. Are you contending that kopsh descends of copis via invasion from the North?
kopsh or kopesh are spellings often seen; as you say there are sometimes (Hebrew, too, for instance; Arabic I don't know about) no consonants in written Afro-Asiatic/Afrasian languages, so there's really little point to nitpicking that matter.

22nd March 2005, 01:57 AM	#2
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Copis (kopis) is a different sword; N Mediterranean and Central Asian. As I say, it seems based on a sickle (it always incurves; only sometimes does it recurve at the spine, and often enough only the very tip of the edge. Multinational, widespread. Sometimes called falcatta. Sometimes, oddly, with a knuckleguard. The Afrasian sword (kopsh) seems based on Afrasian fighting broadaxes (rather closely modelled, in length, angle, edge curve). It does not seem related to sickles, but then again it does seem related (mainly in the tip though) to 'Zande etc. sickle-swords. AFAIK copis and kopsh may very well be the same word, but they properly refer to two quite different styles, with some overlap of features in some cases. Are you contending that kopsh descends of copis via invasion from the North? kopsh or kopesh are spellings often seen; as you say there are sometimes (Hebrew, too, for instance; Arabic I don't know about) no consonants in written Afro-Asiatic/Afrasian languages, so there's really little point to nitpicking that matter.