shashka

See also: shasqua

English

An 1881 pattern Cossack shashka

Alternative forms

• shasqua

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian шашка (šaška).

Noun

shashka (plural shashkas)

1. A kind of guardless, lightly-curved sabre used in Russia.
   • 1894, L.R. Hamersly & Company, The United Service‎^[1], volume 12:

     The question of form naturally concerns only the cutting weapon. Indeed, it is to a certain degree idle to discuss it at all, or at least of no great moment. To be convinced of this it is sufficient to compare the curvature of the yatagan with the less decided curvature of the shashka. Yet no Cossack would probably exchange his shashka for a yatagan, nor would any Turk give up his yatagan for a shashka, because that is all a matter of usage.

   • 1982, Leonid Tarassuk, Claude Blair, The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms & Weapons‎^[2]:

     Shashka blades came from various sources, some being locally made and others imported from Russia. In the 19th century, many came from Germany too, and Solingen, in particular, produced a number of shashka blades displaying imitations of the "running wolf" mark of Passau.

   • 2009, Hank Reinhardt, Hank Reinhardt's The Book of Swords‎^[3]:

     Modern shasqua, 38 inches overall length. HRC322.

   • 2017, Rosalind Minett, Impact‎^[4]:

     Bill moved nearer to the table, his eyes on the shashka.

Translations

sabre

• Japanese: シャシュカ (shashuka)
• Kalmyk: чашк (çaşk)
• Russian: шашка (ru) f (šaška)

Anagrams

• Shakhas, shakhas