Chinese Dao as the common ancestor of SE Asian Dha / Darb

Mark · 3rd April 2007, 04:42 PM

It is tempting to draw an etymological link between the Chinese 'dao,' the Tai 'dahb/daab' and the Bama 'dha,' and even the Kachin 'dao.' They all seem to mean more-or-less the same thing, which is basically 'blade,' or 'curved blade.' A problem, or rather obstacle, that I have in addressing that question is not knowing the actual intonation of the various words. My Western ear would have a hard time with the subtlies, as well.

While I think it very likely that the dha/dahb in some form came from Yunnan (specifically Nan Zhao), I don't see a strong connection with the Chinese dao in its various forms. Not only are details such as the handle shape and presence of a guard different, the balance is quite different as well, the dao having a POB farther out along the blade than the typical dha, and much farther out than that of the typical dahb. Dao also lack the graceful curve of the dha and dahb. Where the influence is most clearly seen (not surprisingly) is in Vietnam, where Chinese influence was strongest. Even there, however, one sees two distinct types of sabre, one clearly a variation of the dao (even called "dao"), and the other seemingly more closely related to the dahb ("dai dao"). It is interesting (at least for non-linguist me) to speculate whether the "dai dao" is a "Tai dao," from the point of view of the Vietnamese. IN any event, it is found in southern Vietnam (Cochin) rather than northern Vietnam (Tonkin). Cochin was historically more linked to the rest of SEA than Tonkin, which at one point was actually a Chinese province. There is also a Vietnamese version of the jian (the kiem), which is not seen at all in other parts of continental SEA. My expectation would be to see both dao-related and jian-related swords if there were a Chinese influence, as one sees in Vietnam. The absence of the jian style says to me that Chinese, by which I mean Han Chinese, influence in most of continental SEA was limited.

I have not yet found any clear evidence of what a Yunnan/Nan Zhao style dao might look like, though I have seen a few dha provenanced from Yunnan that resemble a certain style of Shan dha, with their own decorative details.

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3rd April 2007, 04:42 PM	#2
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	It is tempting to draw an etymological link between the Chinese 'dao,' the Tai 'dahb/daab' and the Bama 'dha,' and even the Kachin 'dao.' They all seem to mean more-or-less the same thing, which is basically 'blade,' or 'curved blade.' A problem, or rather obstacle, that I have in addressing that question is not knowing the actual intonation of the various words. My Western ear would have a hard time with the subtlies, as well. While I think it very likely that the dha/dahb in some form came from Yunnan (specifically Nan Zhao), I don't see a strong connection with the Chinese dao in its various forms. Not only are details such as the handle shape and presence of a guard different, the balance is quite different as well, the dao having a POB farther out along the blade than the typical dha, and much farther out than that of the typical dahb. Dao also lack the graceful curve of the dha and dahb. Where the influence is most clearly seen (not surprisingly) is in Vietnam, where Chinese influence was strongest. Even there, however, one sees two distinct types of sabre, one clearly a variation of the dao (even called "dao"), and the other seemingly more closely related to the dahb ("dai dao"). It is interesting (at least for non-linguist me) to speculate whether the "dai dao" is a "Tai dao," from the point of view of the Vietnamese. IN any event, it is found in southern Vietnam (Cochin) rather than northern Vietnam (Tonkin). Cochin was historically more linked to the rest of SEA than Tonkin, which at one point was actually a Chinese province. There is also a Vietnamese version of the jian (the kiem), which is not seen at all in other parts of continental SEA. My expectation would be to see both dao-related and jian-related swords if there were a Chinese influence, as one sees in Vietnam. The absence of the jian style says to me that Chinese, by which I mean Han Chinese, influence in most of continental SEA was limited. I have not yet found any clear evidence of what a Yunnan/Nan Zhao style dao might look like, though I have seen a few dha provenanced from Yunnan that resemble a certain style of Shan dha, with their own decorative details.