Pesh, Choora ???

Sikh_soldier · 1st July 2009, 11:33 AM

Hi guys,
kronckew in regards to the Choora definition you found on Google, that is indeed a term for people belonging to the caste of choora, but that is pronounced differently from the dagger, that is pronounced Chooora where the dagger is Churra.

I showed a friend of mine my Choora dagger, he does not know anything about edged weapons but he is from the tribal regions of Afghanistan/Pakistan, and he told me that in the language they speak, Choora (pronounced Churra) means big knife, whereas if his mother asks him to pass a small kitchen knife she says pass the Churri (feminine).
And he told me there is no link to a caste, a derrogatory term or anything else it just means Knife.

Hope this helps

Bally

kronckew · 1st July 2009, 12:18 PM

as suspected, it's a 'knife'

we as collectors are a lot more anal about assigning labels, which tend to gather momentum as more people use them, gaining a life of their own to the point where if i were to call it a 'pisau' (also essentially means 'knife') i'd provoke a storm of comment. i imagine a 'normal' (non-collector) native from the area would if shown a 'choora' would still call it a 'pisau'.

Rick · 1st July 2009, 02:34 PM

Okay , so this is a Choora also; not a Karud as I have assumed ?

If not, then what's the defining factor ?

So frustrating .......

kronckew · 1st July 2009, 02:38 PM

rick has culture shock.

a rose by any other name....

(i'd call yours a karud, but i'm not a pashtun - anyway it (karud) probably means 'bigger knife'

)

no relation to a karuda bird either.

Atlantia · 1st July 2009, 02:47 PM

ooh, dont these threads bring out the pedant in us all?

I always (probobly wrongly) assumed that Kard is the route of Karud which is the T spined, but still straight bladed evolution of the route type, like the one Rick has shown a rather fine example of, while when that blade becomes wider and curved it becomes the Pesh kabz.
I always call the 'Karuds' which are the more 'jagged' Afghan type like Warrens 'Choora's'.
Hmmm, makes ya think it does....

Rick · 1st July 2009, 02:58 PM

Okay ..... that's it !

My new list of Afghan choora/pesh/karud terms :

Small knife.

Medium knife.

large knife .

kronckew · 1st July 2009, 03:16 PM

and lest we forget, there is the

"extra large" knife

and is this 'small knife' a choori?

Sikh_soldier · 1st July 2009, 10:16 PM

sorry everyone I tried to clear up the confusion but ended up making it worse, however atleast we know that the word is not from a derrogatory word for people from a low caste (which is sad in itself) but means knife in certain languages/dialects

Bally

it would be funny if this catches on though, imagine ambiguous auction descriptions

"here we have a beautiful big knife, from somewhere not here, size is bigger than usual, hilt wider than normal, and colour strange but not peculiar"

1st July 2009, 02:34 PM	#3
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,347	Name Games Okay , so this is a Choora also; not a Karud as I have assumed ? If not, then what's the defining factor ? So frustrating ....... Attached Images

1st July 2009, 11:33 AM	#1
Sikh_soldier Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 87	Hi guys, kronckew in regards to the Choora definition you found on Google, that is indeed a term for people belonging to the caste of choora, but that is pronounced differently from the dagger, that is pronounced Chooora where the dagger is Churra. I showed a friend of mine my Choora dagger, he does not know anything about edged weapons but he is from the tribal regions of Afghanistan/Pakistan, and he told me that in the language they speak, Choora (pronounced Churra) means big knife, whereas if his mother asks him to pass a small kitchen knife she says pass the Churri (feminine). And he told me there is no link to a caste, a derrogatory term or anything else it just means Knife. Hope this helps Bally

1st July 2009, 12:18 PM	#2
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,238	as suspected, it's a 'knife' we as collectors are a lot more anal about assigning labels, which tend to gather momentum as more people use them, gaining a life of their own to the point where if i were to call it a 'pisau' (also essentially means 'knife') i'd provoke a storm of comment. i imagine a 'normal' (non-collector) native from the area would if shown a 'choora' would still call it a 'pisau'.

1st July 2009, 02:38 PM	#4
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,238	rick has culture shock. a rose by any other name.... (i'd call yours a karud, but i'm not a pashtun - anyway it (karud) probably means 'bigger knife' ) no relation to a karuda bird either.

1st July 2009, 02:47 PM	#5
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	ooh, dont these threads bring out the pedant in us all? I always (probobly wrongly) assumed that Kard is the route of Karud which is the T spined, but still straight bladed evolution of the route type, like the one Rick has shown a rather fine example of, while when that blade becomes wider and curved it becomes the Pesh kabz. I always call the 'Karuds' which are the more 'jagged' Afghan type like Warrens 'Choora's'. Hmmm, makes ya think it does....

1st July 2009, 02:58 PM	#6
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,347	Okay ..... that's it ! My new list of Afghan choora/pesh/karud terms : Small knife. Medium knife. large knife .

1st July 2009, 03:16 PM	#7
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,238	and lest we forget, there is the "extra large" knife and is this 'small knife' a choori?

1st July 2009, 10:16 PM	#8
Sikh_soldier Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 87	sorry everyone I tried to clear up the confusion but ended up making it worse, however atleast we know that the word is not from a derrogatory word for people from a low caste (which is sad in itself) but means knife in certain languages/dialects Bally it would be funny if this catches on though, imagine ambiguous auction descriptions "here we have a beautiful big knife, from somewhere not here, size is bigger than usual, hilt wider than normal, and colour strange but not peculiar"