How wide spread is the term Sundang

zamboanga · 16th February 2005, 05:38 AM

to the yakans, they refer to the kris as sundang.

federico, i am tempted to share this experience. when i showed cato's pictures of yakan piras to an old yakan puhan maker, he called them gasa and insisted that is the proper term they used way back. the piras to him are the ones being made today.

by the way, he makes horn hilts for these "gasa."

Ian · 16th February 2005, 01:41 PM

Federico:

I believe sundang is a Malay word originally. I've heard it used in Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, as well as in the Philippines. I think in the Philippines it is another example of a word widely adopted from a Foreign language, with variable local useage. Much like bolo.

Dave Henkel may have a better understanding of where the term originated linguistically.

Ian.

LabanTayo · 16th February 2005, 02:19 PM

i had the same problem when i lived in manila and pampanga.
in pampanga, they called long bolos a sundang. in manila, with the street vendors, most bolo's were called sundang. if it was moro looking, like a barong, it was called sundang. so, i came to the assumption, that outside of the moroland, a sundang was a generic term for a longer bolo (bolo=another generic term for swords).
very confusing.

LabanTayo · 16th February 2005, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zamboanga

federico, i am tempted to share this experience. when i showed cato's pictures of yakan piras to an old yakan puhan maker, he called them gasa and insisted that is the proper term they used way back. the piras to him are the ones being made today.

by the way, he makes horn hilts for these "gasa."

argghhhh!!!!! more confusion!!!!!

has anyone else heard of the term "gasa"??

16th February 2005, 01:41 PM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,469	Maybe Malay originally Federico: I believe sundang is a Malay word originally. I've heard it used in Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, as well as in the Philippines. I think in the Philippines it is another example of a word widely adopted from a Foreign language, with variable local useage. Much like bolo. Dave Henkel may have a better understanding of where the term originated linguistically. Ian.

16th February 2005, 05:38 AM	#1
zamboanga Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: zamboanga city, philippines Posts: 132	to the yakans, they refer to the kris as sundang. federico, i am tempted to share this experience. when i showed cato's pictures of yakan piras to an old yakan puhan maker, he called them gasa and insisted that is the proper term they used way back. the piras to him are the ones being made today. by the way, he makes horn hilts for these "gasa."

16th February 2005, 02:19 PM	#3
LabanTayo Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kansas City Posts: 177	i had the same problem when i lived in manila and pampanga. in pampanga, they called long bolos a sundang. in manila, with the street vendors, most bolo's were called sundang. if it was moro looking, like a barong, it was called sundang. so, i came to the assumption, that outside of the moroland, a sundang was a generic term for a longer bolo (bolo=another generic term for swords). very confusing.