Weapon or tool?

[Billman]

Very pleased to have been of help - I've just found a few more alternative spellings:

"Catty" we use comes from the Tamil "Katthi" - a knife or billhook - see: http://www.infolanka.com/org/srilanka/cult/38.htm

Also 'ketha' see: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/srilan...s/message/3739

In southern India the local name for a billhook is 'kandali' in the kannada language - which I guess may have the same etymological roots

see: http://books.google.fr/books?id=E1C3...page&q&f=false

Once you start searching the www it is difficult to stop...

[Amuk Murugul]

Hullo everybody,

As there have been much 'cross-pollination' between Sri Lanka and the Archipelago over the centuries, I thought I'd include the Soenda term for this 'billhook': Tjongkrang.

Best,

[Billman]

Originally Posted by Amuk Murugul

Hullo everybody,

As there have been much 'cross-pollination' between Sri Lanka and the Archipelago over the centuries, I thought I'd include the Soenda term for this 'billhook': Tjongkrang.

Many thanks - another word for my billhook lexicon - only a few thousand other languages and dialects to go.....

[Jenny Ida]

Note the resemblance to SEA mak

[Billman]

Hi just found some images from Parker, ref tools from Ceylon...

Just need to remember who Parker is....

Update: Found it - H Parker, Ancient Ceylon 1909 - see http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=N...page&q&f=false