Poignard | |
---|---|
A knight holding a poignard |
|
Type | Dagger |
Specifications | |
Blade type | Double-edged, straight bladed |
Poignard, or poniard, (Fr.), refers to a long, lightweight thrusting knife with a continuously tapering, acutely pointed blade and crossguard, historically worn by the upper class, noblemen, or the knighthood. Similar in design to a parrying dagger, the poignard emerged during the Middle Ages and was used during the Renaissance in Western Europe, particularly in France, Switzerland, and Italy.[1][2]
In modern French, the term poignard has come to be defined as synonymous with dague, the general term for "dagger"[3], and in English the term poignard or poniard has gradually evolved into a term for any small, slender dagger.[4]
The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife may be thought of as a modern version of the poignard.