Language: Manchu
Source: Classical literature

fesin i tolhodon

fesin-i toldohon

 

Fesin-i toldohon is the Manchu word for the ferrule on a sword grip, as it turns up in a 1766 dictionary.The ferrule prevents the hilt from splitting and provides a tight fit against the guard.

Fesin literally means: handle, stock, grip, or pole for a flag or banner.2

Toldohon literally means: an engraved band or ring on the hilt of a sword or dagger.3

For a complete overview, see: A Manchu saber glossary.

Ferrule on Chinese saber

A Chinese saber ferrule of the round style. Late 18th / early 19th century.

Notes
1. Terms are taken from the Wuti Qingwen Jian (五體清文鑑) or "Five languages compendium", a Qing imperial dictionary in Manchu, Mongolian, Uighur, Tibetan and Chinese of 1766.
2. Jerry Norman; A comprehensive Manchu-English dictionary. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 85, Harvard University Asia Center, Cambridge (Massachusetts) and London, 2013.
3. Ibid.

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