丈八蛇矛

Mandarin

simpl. and trad.

丈八蛇矛

Etymology

丈八 (1.8 zhang: 4.158 meters or 13 feet 7.708776 inches) + 蛇矛 ("snake lance"; long lance)

• Contrary to popular belief, the snake is more likely a reference to the lance's length rather than the shape of the lance's head.

Proper noun

丈八蛇矛 (traditional and simplified, Pinyin Zhàng bā shémáo)

1. (archaic) the long lance used by Zhang Fei

Zhang Fei's weapon may have looked something like the one in this Qing Dynasty handscroll, but slightly longer

Synonyms

• trad. 丈八點鋼矛, simpl. 丈八点钢矛

References

• 14th century, Luo, Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms/Chapter 1 (in Mandarin/English):
• "丈八蛇矛" (in Mandarin). Guoyu Cidian On-line Mandarin Dictionary (國語辭典). URL accessed on 2009-05-09.
• "丈八蛇矛" (in Mandarin). Baidu on-line Encyclopedia. URL accessed on 2008-03-03.