Seax
/sæks/noun
A short, single-edged knife or sword used by Germanic peoples, especially the Anglo-Saxons.
Did you know?The word for the Anglo-Saxons is traditionally linked to the seax, a distinctive one-edged knife, so a weapon helped shape an ethnic identity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*sahsą
“A knife, dagger, or cutting blade.”
Old English
OE
seax
“A knife, dagger, or short sword.”
Old English
OE
Seaxe
“The Saxons, traditionally interpreted as 'people of the seax'.”
Middle English
ME
sax
“A knife or short sword, especially in historical or antiquarian use.”
Modern English
EN
seax
“A historical term for a short, single-edged blade associated with early Germanic peoples.”