Difference between revisions of "Glossary of Italian Fencing Terms"

From Swordschool
Jump to navigationJump to search
Line 1: Line 1:
Glossary
= A Glossary of 15th Century Italian Fencing Terms =
This is a list of terms from Fiore’s treatise that are commonly used in training. The translations offered are specific to this treatise, and not necessarily in common Italian usage. Students should also note that the terms are often spelled several different ways in the source.
Those interested in the translation process should read “Half Full? Translating Meza and Tutta in Fior di Battaglia” by Guy Windsor, available here: [http://www.swordschool.com/publications/articles.html].


== Introduction ==


The table below includes words that are either unique to fencing manuscripts (Fiore or Vadi’s), or have a specific technical meaning in a fencing context. There are still some areas of debate amongst scholars of these arts; where this is the case, it is noted in the comments. The translations are not necessarily applicable to modern Italian or other historical sources. Students should also note that the terms are often spelled several different ways in the original sources.


[[Abrazare]]: to wrestle.
Italian grammar notes:
* Nouns ending in '''-e''' (singular) → '''-i''' (plural): ''fendente / fendenti''
* Nouns ending in '''-o''' (singular) → '''-i''' (plural): ''colpo / colpi''
* Nouns ending in '''-a''' (singular) → '''-e''' (plural): ''ligadura / ligadure''


[[Accressere]]: to step forwards without passing
Terms are given in the form most commonly used in Fiore or Vadi (e.g. ''Longa'', ''zogho'').


alla traversa: across
----


Bicorno: two-horned. Specifically a guard position.
== Glossary ==


Breve: short. Specifically a guard position.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
! Italian
Colpo: a blow, either cut or thrust
! English
 
! Comments
Destra: on the right  
|-
 
| Abrazare
Discressere: to step back without passing
| To wrestle
 
|
Donna: lady. Specifically a guard position.
|-
 
| Accrescere
Falsa: false
| To step forwards without passing
 
|
Fendente: a descending blow
|-
 
| Bicorno
Fenestra: window. Specifically a guard position.
| Two-horned
 
| A guard
Fora di strada: off the line; as in “accresco fora di strada”, “I step off the line”
|-
 
| Breve / posta breve
Frontale: frontal. Specifically a guard position.
| Short; short guard
 
| Refers to a specific guard position
Ligadura: a lock. Ligadura soprana= high lock; ligadura mezana= middle lock; ligadura sottana= lower lock.
|-
 
| Cinghiare / cinghiaro
Longa: long. Specifically a guard position.
| Wild boar
 
| Name of a specific guard
Mandritto: forehand
|-
 
| Colpo / colpi
Meza/ mezana: middle or half, depending on context.
| A blow or strike
 
|
Mezano: one of the 6 blows, these are horizontal. Literally, “middle blow”.
|-
 
| Corona
Passare: to pass; to step passing one foot past the other.
| Crown
 
| Name of a specific guard
Passo: a passing step; also the space between your feet. Hence “passo alla traversa”, pass across.
|-
 
| Coverta
Porta di ferro: iron door. Specifically a guard position, either middle (mezana) or whole (tutta).
| Cover; parry
 
|
Posta: Guard position. Plural poste.
|-
 
| Destro / destra
Punta: point (of a weapon), or a thrust.
| On the right
 
|
Rebattere: to beat aside, specifically an incoming weapon.
|-
 
| Discrescere
Remedio: remedy; specifically the defence against an attack, usually some form of parry.
| To step back without passing
 
|
Rompere: to break, as in rompere di punta, to break the thrust (a defensive action).
|-
 
| Donna
Roverso: backhand
| Woman
 
| Name of a specific guard
Scambiare: to exchange. Specifically, scambiare di punta, the exchange of thrust (a defensive action).
|-
 
| Dritto / diritto / derito
Sinestra: on the left.
| Right; forehand; true
 
| ''Filo'' or ''taglio dritto'' is the true edge
Sottano: a rising blow.
|-
 
| Elzo
Strada: way, line. Specifically the line between two fencers. Usually in context “fora di strada”, off the line.
| Hilt; crossguard
 
|
Tondo: a horizontal blow (as mezano).
|-
 
| Falcon
Tornare: to pass backwards.
| Falcon
 
| Name of a specific guard
Tutta: whole or full.
|-
 
| Falso
Vera croce: true cross. Specifically a guard position.
| False edge; back edge
 
|
Volta: turn, specifically volta stabile, stable turn; meza volta, half turn; tutta volta, whole turn.
|-
 
| Fendente
Zenghiaro: wild boar. Specifically a guard position. Usual form “posta di dente di zenghiaro”, position of the wild boar’s tooth.
| Descending blow
 
| Usually qualified by ''mandritto/dritto'' or ''roverso''
Zogho largo: wide play. Specifically actions with weapons that occur at wide measure.
|-
 
| Finestra
Zogho stretto: close play. Specifically actions with or without weapons that occur in close measure.
| Window
 
| Name of a specific guard
These terms are frequently combined, such as the names of the blows; mandritto fendente, for example, is a forehand descending blow.
|-
| Fora / for di strada
| Out of the way
| Usually used with footwork (e.g. ''passo fora di strada'')
|-
| Frontale
| Frontal
| A guard
|-
| Gioco / giocho stretto
| Close or constrained play
|
|-
| Gioco largo
| Wide play
|
|-
| Gioco / giocho
| Play
| A single sequence or tactical state
|-
| Incrosare / incroce
| Crossing; parry
|
|-
| Largo
| Wide
| Tactical state where one is free to strike
|-
| Lunga / Longa
| Long
| Part of guard name (e.g. ''posta lunga con la spada curta'')
|-
| Mandritto
| Forehand
| See ''dritto''
|-
| Mantener
| Handle of the sword
|
|-
| Meza spada / mezza spada
| Half sword
| Crossing near the middle of the blades
|-
| Mezana porta di ferro
| Middle iron door
| A guard
|-
| Mezano / mezani
| Middle blows
| Horizontal blows
|-
| Passare
| To pass (step)
|
|-
| Passo
| A pass
| Also the length or stance distance
|-
| Porta di ferro
| Iron door
| May be ''mezana'' or ''piana terena''
|-
| Posta / poste
| Position or guard
| Used more commonly than ''guardia''
|-
| Quatro dita
| Four fingers
| Unit of measurement
|-
| Rebattere
| To beat aside; parry
|
|-
| Remedio
| Remedy
| Defence against an attack
|-
| Rendopiare / reddopiare
| Redouble
| Not the Bolognese ''ridoppio''
|-
| Riverso / roverso
| Backhand
|
|-
| Rompere
| To break
| As in breaking the thrust
|-
| Rota
| Turn; rising blow
| Used by Vadi only; see chapter XV
|-
| Sagitaria
| Archer
| Guard positions (Fiore vs Vadi differ)
|-
| Scambiare
| To exchange
| As in exchanging the thrust
|-
| Sinestro
| On the left
|
|-
| Somesso
| Width of a fist
| Unit of measurement
|-
| Sottano
| Rising blow
|
|-
| Stancho
| Left (side or foot)
| Modern Italian: “tired”
|-
| Strada
| Way
| The direct line between combatants
|-
| Stramazone
| Whirling blow
| From the wrist
|-
| Stretto / stretta / strette
| Close; constrained
| Tactical state
|-
| Taglio / tagli
| Cut; cutting edge
|
|-
| Traverso / ala traversa
| Across; diagonal
| Used with footwork
|-
| Tondo
| Round
| Horizontal blow
|-
| Tornare
| To return
| To pass back
|-
| Vera croce
| True cross
| Guard (sword in armour)
|-
| Volta
| Turn
| Stable, half, and whole turns
|-
| Vista / visteggiare
| Feint
| Meaning clear from context
|-
| Volante / volanti
| Flying
| Horizontal blow; Vadi only
|-
| Zenghiaro
| Wild boar
| A guard
|-
| Zogho largo
| Wide play
| See ''gioco largo''
|-
| Zogho stretto
| Close play
| See ''gioco stretto''
|}

Revision as of 10:35, 5 January 2026

A Glossary of 15th Century Italian Fencing Terms

Introduction

The table below includes words that are either unique to fencing manuscripts (Fiore or Vadi’s), or have a specific technical meaning in a fencing context. There are still some areas of debate amongst scholars of these arts; where this is the case, it is noted in the comments. The translations are not necessarily applicable to modern Italian or other historical sources. Students should also note that the terms are often spelled several different ways in the original sources.

Italian grammar notes:

  • Nouns ending in -e (singular) → -i (plural): fendente / fendenti
  • Nouns ending in -o (singular) → -i (plural): colpo / colpi
  • Nouns ending in -a (singular) → -e (plural): ligadura / ligadure

Terms are given in the form most commonly used in Fiore or Vadi (e.g. Longa, zogho).

Glossary

Italian English Comments
Abrazare To wrestle
Accrescere To step forwards without passing
Bicorno Two-horned A guard
Breve / posta breve Short; short guard Refers to a specific guard position
Cinghiare / cinghiaro Wild boar Name of a specific guard
Colpo / colpi A blow or strike
Corona Crown Name of a specific guard
Coverta Cover; parry
Destro / destra On the right
Discrescere To step back without passing
Donna Woman Name of a specific guard
Dritto / diritto / derito Right; forehand; true Filo or taglio dritto is the true edge
Elzo Hilt; crossguard
Falcon Falcon Name of a specific guard
Falso False edge; back edge
Fendente Descending blow Usually qualified by mandritto/dritto or roverso
Finestra Window Name of a specific guard
Fora / for di strada Out of the way Usually used with footwork (e.g. passo fora di strada)
Frontale Frontal A guard
Gioco / giocho stretto Close or constrained play
Gioco largo Wide play
Gioco / giocho Play A single sequence or tactical state
Incrosare / incroce Crossing; parry
Largo Wide Tactical state where one is free to strike
Lunga / Longa Long Part of guard name (e.g. posta lunga con la spada curta)
Mandritto Forehand See dritto
Mantener Handle of the sword
Meza spada / mezza spada Half sword Crossing near the middle of the blades
Mezana porta di ferro Middle iron door A guard
Mezano / mezani Middle blows Horizontal blows
Passare To pass (step)
Passo A pass Also the length or stance distance
Porta di ferro Iron door May be mezana or piana terena
Posta / poste Position or guard Used more commonly than guardia
Quatro dita Four fingers Unit of measurement
Rebattere To beat aside; parry
Remedio Remedy Defence against an attack
Rendopiare / reddopiare Redouble Not the Bolognese ridoppio
Riverso / roverso Backhand
Rompere To break As in breaking the thrust
Rota Turn; rising blow Used by Vadi only; see chapter XV
Sagitaria Archer Guard positions (Fiore vs Vadi differ)
Scambiare To exchange As in exchanging the thrust
Sinestro On the left
Somesso Width of a fist Unit of measurement
Sottano Rising blow
Stancho Left (side or foot) Modern Italian: “tired”
Strada Way The direct line between combatants
Stramazone Whirling blow From the wrist
Stretto / stretta / strette Close; constrained Tactical state
Taglio / tagli Cut; cutting edge
Traverso / ala traversa Across; diagonal Used with footwork
Tondo Round Horizontal blow
Tornare To return To pass back
Vera croce True cross Guard (sword in armour)
Volta Turn Stable, half, and whole turns
Vista / visteggiare Feint Meaning clear from context
Volante / volanti Flying Horizontal blow; Vadi only
Zenghiaro Wild boar A guard
Zogho largo Wide play See gioco largo
Zogho stretto Close play See gioco stretto
Retrieved from ‘https://swordschool.com/wiki/index.php?title=Glossary_of_Italian_Fencing_Terms&oldid=1177’