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The sgian-dubh ( ; (:s̪kʲɪnˈt̪uh)) is a small, single-edged knife (Gaelic ''sgian'') worn as part of traditional Scottish Highland dress along with the kilt. Originally used for eating and preparing fruit, meat, and cutting bread and cheese – as well as serving for other more general day-to-day uses such as cutting material and protection, it is now worn as part of traditional Scottish dress tucked into the top of the kilt hose with only the upper portion of the hilt visible. The sgian-dubh is normally worn on the same side as the dominant hand. ==Etymology and spelling== The name comes from the Gaelic ''sgian-dubh''. Although the primary meaning of ''dubh'' is "black", the secondary meaning of "hidden" is at the root of ''sgian-dubh'', based on the stories and theories surrounding the knife's origin, in particular those associated with the Highland custom of depositing weapons at the entrance to a house prior to entering as a guest. Compare also other Gaelic word-formations such as ''dubh-sgeir'' "underwater skerry" (lit. black skerry), ''dubh-fhacal'' "riddle" (lit. hidden word), ''dubh-cheist'' "enigma" (lit. hidden question). Despite this practice, a small twin edged-dagger, (a mattucashlass, Gaelic ''sgian-achlais''), concealed under the armpit, combined with a smaller knife, ('sgian-dubh'), concealed in the hose or boot, would offer an element of defence or of surprise if employed in attack. As ''sgian'' is feminine, we would expect the form ''sgian dhubh'', since a feminine noun causes initial consonant lenition in a following adjective, and indeed the everyday modern Gaelic for a normal 'black knife' is ''sgian dhubh''. However, the term for the ceremonial knife is a set-phrase containing a fossilized historical form. In older Gaelic, a system of blocked lenition meant that lenition did not occur when the adjective started with a consonant of the same group as the final consonant of the noun, and n and d are both dental in Gaelic. Various alternative spellings are found in English, including "skene-dhu" and "skean-dhu".〔"skene1" ''Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd edition, 1989. () (subscription required).〕 The plural is most commonly ''sgian-dubhs'' (in its various spellings) but ''sgians-dubh'' is also occasionally encountered. The proper Gaelic plural forms ''sg(e)inean-dubh'' or ''sgianan-dubh'' are only rarely encountered in English usage. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sgian-dubh」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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