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de la taille

English translation: blade / cutting edge

09:06 Feb 2, 2012
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
French term or phrase: de la taille
What does de la taille mean in the following sentence:

Les Bourguignons agitent leurs épées, frappant *de la taille*, du revers & du pommeau les casques rutilants des assaillants, d’où l'étincelle saille sous le tranchant
MSA-Translation
United States
Local time: 03:42
English translation:blade / cutting edge
Explanation:
This seems to be the same passage - see the explanation:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2347338
Selected response from:

Gail Clark
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4blade / cutting edge
Gail Clark
4waist
Lara Barnett
Summary of reference entries provided
Estoc et taille
Alain Pommet

  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
blade / cutting edge


Explanation:
This seems to be the same passage - see the explanation:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2347338

Gail Clark
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Emiliano Pantoja
5 mins
agree  Alain Pommet: First entry for "taille" in my nouveau Littré dictionary "Tranchant d'une épée"
23 mins
agree  B D Finch
25 mins
agree  mimi 254
2 hrs
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
waist


Explanation:
This is to say, the "waist" of the sword.

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Note added at 7 mins (2012-02-02 09:14:13 GMT)
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Maybe hitting or attacking "...with the waist, the underside and the pommel of the sword."

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Note added at 12 mins (2012-02-02 09:19:55 GMT)
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This diagram shows what is being referred to as the waist of the sword:
http://www.indepthinfo.com/swords/gladius-roman-short-sword....

Example sentence(s):
  • "The sword was 40 cm (15.7 in) long and was characterized by a wasp-waist close to the hilt."

    Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladius
Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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Reference comments


37 mins
Reference: Estoc et taille

Reference information:
L’estoc et la taille sont des termes anciens désignant un coup porté respectivement par la pointe et par le tranchant de l'arme.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estoc_et_taille

Alain Pommet
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12
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