Curtlax

/ˈkɜːrtlæks/ noun

Definition

A variant spelling of curtalax or cutlass; a short curved sword or cutting weapon with a blunt or shortened blade.

Etymology

A variant of curtalax, mixing curtal (short) with lax or axe. This represents the orthographic confusion surrounding European sword terminology in English maritime and military texts.

Kelly Says

Cutlass/curtalax/curtlax variations show how English borrowed maritime weapons vocabulary from multiple Romance languages simultaneously, creating a spelling chaos that finally settled on 'cutlass' as the winner!

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