Talk:Degen (SS)

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While this article is discussing a particular article of the German army, the word is present in the English language since at least 1699, and fairly broadly defined.

Heribert Seitz comments in his Svärdet och Värjan som Armévapen, "Degen originally derived from Medieval Latin "daga", "dagger", "daggerius" and others, also found in Italian and Spanish "daga", French "dague" and Swedish and Danish "daggert", are all synonyms for either a short sword or long dagger. The etymology comes from defining a lighter and (initially) shorter weapon from the heavier sword. The concept of "degen" can at the earliest be traced to East Germanic areas around 1400."

I've also seen it used synonymously with rapier (which is probably how it is used in the earliest examples in English).67.101.119.99 (talk) 22:17, 26 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This is a difficult one. The term may arise as early as during the 13th century, but it changes its meaning all the time. This should be disambiguated. German Degen means:

• "dagger" ca. 1300 to 1600
• something like "long dagger" or "short sword", "large baselard" during ca. 1450 to 1600
• more or less the same as "sword" during 1600 to 1800 or so, where "sword" means "rapier"
• after 1800, whatever had become of the rapier. This is essentially the dress sword (smallsword), but also all other types of swords worn with uniforms, especially sabres.

looking over this list, I think the best explanation is that degen from 1300 to 1945 simply meant "the current type of sidearm habitually worn by military types". Once you assume that this is the meaning of the term, the change of referent becomes a trivial account of what type of bladed weapon soldiers or officers happened to wear on a daily basis. --dab (𒁳) 09:56, 3 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Any objections to removing the parade photo? The article is short and a second image is not required. Please let me know of any feedback. K.e.coffman (talk) 01:55, 17 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]