Note 822 — Chapter XI · THE SWORD IN ANCIENT GREECE: HOMER; HESIOD AND HERODOTUS: MYCENÆ.
Reading edition
Dictionaries derive this word from
σπάω
(to draw). I find it in the Egyptian ‘Sft.’ It is evidently a congener of
Σπάθη
(dim.
σπάθιον
), also Romaic, and verb σπαθάω = I wield (the weapon). Spáthe means primarily a broad blade of wood or metal; secondarily a weaver’s spatel or spaddle, a spatula (Latin
tela
); an oar-blade, a scraper (for horse-currying), and a broadsword. Scotchmen still apply ‘spathe’ to the weaver’s lath (
The Past in the Present
, p. 11), which preceded the ‘pecten.’ It is also used for Carnifex in Tertullian (
De Cult. Fem.
cap. xiii.), and in botany for a shoot of fructification. In Anglo-Saxon it became
Spad
; Icelandic
Spadi
, our spade. The Latins (Tacit.
Ann.
xii. 35; Veget.
De Re Mil.
ii. 15) converted it to
spatha
; and hence the neo-Latin
espée
and
épée
,
espada
and
spada
, from which we derive our (suit of) ‘spades.’ See the play of words upon ‘Metal de Espadas’ in Camoens’ ‘Rejected Stanzas’ (canto iv. vol. ii. p. 437 of my translation). It has been subjected to other corruptions; and in Chaucer (
Knightes T.
1662) ‘Sparth’ is a battle-axe:—
‘He hath a sparth of twenti pound of wighte.’
Even the learned Major Jähns derives ‘Spatha’ from ‘Spatel.’