Quote:
Originally Posted by Varyon
While I agree these were most likely thrusting weapons (I mean, that's probably a big part of why they're referred to as "rapiers"),
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The "rapier" thing is mostly a Victorianism.
Even more common than calling all thrusting swords "rapiers" was calling all curved swords "sabers". It's why the Chinese word "dao" (which is literally "knife" or by extension "single-edged blade") is translated as "saber" when it's part of a compound name for swords even when they're 5 feet long ("zhanmadao"). <shrug>"Horse beheading knife" would be odd too.
The Victorians were first in organized (if not terribly scientific) study of arms and armor and they've left us a terminology but it shouldn't be taken literally.