Wakizashi

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /wækɪˈzæʃi/

Definitions

1. A traditional Japanese weapon, this short sword is typically paired with a longer blade and is a significant part of samurai culture and armor design
2. This blade, shorter than a katana, serves as an essential companion weapon in the samurai arsenal and is notable for its craftsmanship
3. A short, traditionally crafted Japanese sword, this weapon is often used alongside a longer katana and holds cultural significance in samurai history and combat practices

Etymology: The Japanese word "wakizashi" is built from two ordinary nouns: "waki", meaning "side" or "armpit," and "sashi", from the verb "sasu," meaning "to insert" or "to wear at the waist." Together they describe a sword carried tucked into the sash at the side of the body, literally a sword worn at the side. That plain construction carries the history of the object. The wakizashi was the shorter companion to the longer katana, and samurai typically wore the pair together, which is why the name points to where the blade was carried rather than to its length or its striking power. English borrowed the term from Japanese, so it reaches readers without a European intermediary, and its meaning stays tied to that original image of a blade worn close to the body.