claymore

Where does the word "claymore" come from? It comes from Scottish Gaelic claidheamh mòr, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).

Claymore’s story begins in Scottish Gaelic: claidheamh mòr meant “great sword.” 'great sword', the two-handed sword of Highland warriors, carved on the late medieval West Highland grave slabs of Argyll and Iona. It reached English by 1700s as claymore. By the Jacobite rising of 1745-46 it usually meant the basket-hilted broadsword; the US Army's Claymore mine of the 1960s borrowed the name. Today, claymore means a large Scottish broadsword.

1. Stage 1 · Scottish Gaelic · 1500s claidheamh mòr "great sword", 'great sword', the two-handed sword of Highland warriors, carved on the late medieval West Highland grave slabs of Argyll and Iona.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1700s claymore "Highland broadsword", by the Jacobite rising of 1745-46 it usually meant the basket-hilted broadsword; the US Army's Claymore mine of the 1960s borrowed the name.