Katana

Katana is a type of Japanese backsword or longsword. In use after the 1400s, the Katana is a curved, single-edged sword traditionally used by the samurai. Pronounced [kah-tah-nah] in the kun'yomi (Japanese reading) of the kanji, the word has been adopted as a loan word by the English language; as Japanese does not have separate plural and singular forms, both "katanas" and "katana" are considered acceptable plural forms in English. The katana was typically paired with the //wakizashi// or //shōtō//, a similarly made but shorter sword, both worn by the members of the warrior class. It could also be worn with the //tantō//, an even smaller similarly shaped blade. The two weapons together were called the //daishō//, and represented the social power and personal honour of the samurai. The long blade was used for open combat, while the shorter blade was considered a side arm, more suited for stabbing, close quarters combat, decapitating beaten opponents when taking heads on the battlefield, and //seppuku//, a form of ritual suicide.



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