SCA speak

[James Crouchet]

On 13 Jul 1995, Mark Harris wrote:

> 
> >>> I think "fencing" is a post-1600 term.
> >>I think you are wrong, but I am not sure. Let's get the guy with  
> >>the OED to look it up for us.
> 
> I'm sorry.  I missed this.  I've been (and am) under the weather, but
> will look it up tomorrow, if you can wait.
> 
> But I believe it is 1581, as the Lady said.
> 
> Diarmuit
> >>>>
> I was the one who made the orginial coment. Please look it up, but
> I am now convinced that technically fencing is a period term. I'm
> still not convinced that it is the term we should use. 1581 is
> almost out of period, so it was probably not a readily accepted
> term. Secondus, if we use it simply because it was mentioned once,
> then we are also saying that a lot of New World items should be
> common fair at our feasts simply because they had been seen once
> in Europe before December 31, 1599.
> 
> No, no, put down that strange, impossibly long, thin, pointy sword...
> 
> <gurgle>
> 
> Stefan li Rous
> 

Now wait a minute. Let's see if I can make sense out of this.  You want 
to use _rapier combat_, a term made up of two period words but, as best 
as we can tell, not actually a period term.

At the same time you want us NOT to use _fencing_ on the grounds that it 
is barely period.

I say better a real term, even if slightly POST period than another chunk 
of SCA-speak.

Savian