![]() History and use Cutlasses aboard the frigate Grand Turk François l'Olonnais with a cutlass Origin In the English-speaking Caribbean, the word "cutlass" is also used as a word for machete. The root "coltello", for "knife", derived ultimately from the Latin "cultellus" meaning "smaller knife" which is the common Latin root for both the Italian and French words. In Italy, the "cortelazo" was a similar short, broad-bladed sabre popular during the 16th century. The French word "coutelas" may be a convergent development from a Latin root, along with the Italian "coltellaccio" or "cortelazo" meaning "large knife". The word "cutlass" developed from the 17th-century English use of "coutelas", a 16th-century French word for a machete-like mid-length single-edged blade (the modern French for "knife", in general, is "couteau" in 17th- and 18th-century English the word was often spelled "cuttoe"). ![]() It was a common naval weapon during the early Age of Sail. ![]() Mostly 28-32 inches ( leadcutter cutlasses were up to 36 inches in length).Ĭup hilted guards, half-basket cup guards, and branch guards were commonly seen with cylindrical hilts and wire-wrapped hilts which are common and found on most cutlasses.Ī cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket-shaped guard. For other uses, see Cutlass (disambiguation).
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