# Arma Blanca - Knife



## charmedgirl

I was looking for this word here, and found that arma in general is weapon, which I knew, and arma blanca is knife??? That's my question... What about a sword, spear, etc. How do you refer to all those in English?? Weapon? White weapon? Arms?? Would you actually say that a spear is an arm used to... whatever?? Or that it is a weapon??? Or which is the best word for that if any of those is? Thanks!


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## UR INNER VOICE

Hola, te cuento que al momento de hacer mi búsqueda sobre tu pregunta encontré que "white weapon" sí existe, y me parece que es el término que buscas, de t odos modos una segunda opinión no nos caería mal


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## Perdido

I've never heard the term "white weapon," so I'm not sure what to tell you.  You could say "edged weapon" to differentiate from "firearm," but a spear has more of a point than an edge, so I'm not sure if that's a great translation.


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## charmedgirl

Well... It could be, but... Let's see. How would you define the word spear?? How would you clasify it?? Thanks!


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## UR INNER VOICE

que buena la corrección a los 'white weapons' gracias eh??


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## borgonyon

Sharp weapon es común en los noticieros, cuando no se especifica si fue cuchillo, navaja, machete, etc.


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## oliviaF

charmedgirl said:


> I was looking for this word here, and found that arma in general is weapon, which I knew, and arma blanca is knife??? That's my question... What about a sword, spear, etc. How do you refer to all those in English?? Weapon? White weapon? Arms?? Would you actually say that a spear is an arm used to... whatever?? Or that it is a weapon??? Or which is the best word for that if any of those is? Thanks!


 
No, un "arma blanca" no tiene por qué ser "knife" (puede serlo pero no siempre), es el genérico para referirse a un tipo de arma (weapon) que no es de fuego (like a gun)...No sé si te aclaro algo..  . En todo caso, ambos se consideran armas.

Saludos


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## Cubanboy

*Encontré esto**:  **arma blanca  ---- **cut-and-thrust weapon 
**arma blanca -----**cold steel 


suerte y saludos.

*


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## Snita

He encontrado esto:

Commonly used weapons for stabbing purposes:

Knife
Stiletto
Shiv or shank
Sword
Spear
Bayonet
Scissors
Ice pick
Hat pin
Pen
Pencil
Compass (drafting)
Objects common in accidental stabbings:

Glass, such as in a window through which the victim accidentally walks or falls
Rebar and other metal construction materials
Nails, which pierce the victim's foot
Drill bits
Lo que ocurre es que en las noticias, en lugar de 'heridas por armas blancas' se habla de 'stabbing' y yo también me quedo con el interrogante de si existe un término para las weapons. Perdido dijo 'edged weapons'

PD: He tardado mucho en enviar el post, por tanto ya hay muchas más contestaciones....


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## loladamore

*Esto* me pareció interesante. Sin embargo, *esto me pareció más relevante*, donde explica en la nota que en inglés se usa _*arme blanche*_, que quiere decir 'arma blanca' (traducción literal: _white weapon_) o _*cold steel*_.

Saludos.


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## charmedgirl

So... Ok, so they could have said something like "it's an arme blanche, which I guess is too much for them  or cold steel, which I am sure they don't know... I really thank you for these terms, it's good to learn them. And now, well, I just guess it'll be ok if they simply said it's a weapon, without opposing it to gunfires? Some said it's a piercing or sharp weapon used to stab... So I guess that's ok.  Is it?


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## loladamore

You could say *sharp weapons* or perhaps *cutting weapons*.


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## charmedgirl

Ok, thanks a lot!!!!


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## Nicosito

In appropriate circumstances "blade" may cover a certain range of what "arma blanca" covers.

Nico.


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## Txiri

Okay, me fascinaba la explicación de loladeamore.   

An "arma blanca" is any weapon that has an edge.   Knives are such por excelencia, as opposed to guns, which fire bullets.


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## mrgshelton

borgonyon said:


> Sharp weapon es común en los noticieros, cuando no se especifica si fue cuchillo, navaja, machete, etc.


 
Tiene razón borgonyon…arma blanca es una _weapon with a sharp blade_ y en menos palabras: _sharp instrument_.


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## charmedgirl

sharp instrument or weapon?? Y entonces, si se habla de un asesinato en el telediario, y se dice que el crimen se cometió con un "arma blanca" se diría with a "sharp instrument?? Or sharp weapon?? Or with a blade?


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## loladamore

*Sharp instruments* are used in laboratories and surgery. I don't think it's appropriate to include weapons in the same category. If you don't like the fancy French, old-fashioned term _arme blanche_, I would stick with *sharp weapon*, but not "instrument".


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## Nicosito

News items do it though, using "instrument" in the wide sense of "A tool or device that is used to do a particular task", generally because they don't actually know it was purpose-built as a weapon.

Here are some examples:

-http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2000/03/2ff917ae-270d-47d9-acd0-f89c30688868
("Homicides using the methods of 'sharp instrument', 'blunt instrument' and 'hitting or kicking' occur more often in Scotland than in England & Wales. The rates of homicides using other methods are similar in the two jurisdictions.")

-http://www.surrey.police.uk/news_item.asp?artid=2141
("offenders, using a sharp instrument, possibly a knife, carved racially abusive graffiti ")
-http://www.police.govt.nz/district/eastern/release/1436.html
("attack by someone using a sharp instrument, probably a knife")

-http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4013797.stm
"McCammon admitted using a sharp instrument to assault patient Mark Smith"


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## loladamore

Nicosito said:


> News items do it though, using "instrument" in the wide sense of "A tool or device that is used to do a particular task", generally because they don't actually know it was purpose-built as a weapon.


 
Good point and point taken. I still wouldn't recommend "instrument" as the translation of _arma blanca_ as a general rule, though.

What a charming story that last one is. Even a child's toy is used as a weapon. Now what category of weaponry does that come under?


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## Cozzle

years later........

arma blanca -- bladed weapon


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## charmedgirl

Bladed wapon?? well, even if it'syears late for what I needed it, it's always welcomed! THANKS a lot! Do you know anyways if "sharp weapon" is also valid for this? THANKS!


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## Cozzle

charmedgirl said:


> Bladed wapon?? well, even if it'syears late for what I needed it, it's always welcomed! THANKS a lot! Do you know anyways if "sharp weapon" is also valid for this? THANKS!



Hi there, 

I think it is, especially since it refers to a weapon.  I think if the "sharp" referred to something other than a weapon, a blade, for instance, "hoja afilada" would be correct. 
As far as you know, can "blanca" be used to denote bladed items other than weapons? 

Thanks.


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## charmedgirl

ARMA BLANCA is a collocation in Spanish, and it ONLY refers to WEAPONS  Bladed weapons actually, so there wouldn't be a possibility to say that a cooking knife for example were "blanco" or "blanca". Blanca in this context is used ONLY for weapons as opposed to FIRE arms or weapons. So I think you answer my question and maybe I helped you too. THANKS, Cozzle!


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## Soy Yo

Aunque dudo que necesitemos más ejemplos, les ofrezco este, puesto que acabo de leer un artículo que contiene "arma blanca":

"La victima fue identificada como XXXXXX, quien falleció instantáneamente a consecuencia de heridas de arma blanca en el cuello, brazos y otras partes del cuerpo."

Comprendo que "heridas de arma blanca" sería "stab wounds," pero todavía me quedo con la duda de cómo traducir "arma blanca" en otros contextos. Mi diccionario dice "sword" y "knife"... ¿"sharp weapon" como dice el diccionario de WR?

SY


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## charmedgirl

Maybe there's not a prtoper translation. Sharp weapons always sounded to me like a way to explain more than translate the Spanish concept, am I right? Anyways, periphrasis like that of Stab wounds to say herida de arma blanca sounds like a good solution. Sword and Knife are, actually, armas blancas  Thanks for keeping this thread on! Actually I am very interested in this term.


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## kuchamaa

charmedgirl said:


> Maybe there's not a prtoper translation. Sharp weapons always sounded to me like a way to explain more than translate the Spanish concept, am I right?


 
_Sharp weapon_ sounds more like an explanation than a translation, but it makes perfect sense and doesn't sound funny to me at all.  

I've read the term _edged weapons _in police manuals.  

I've heard of bayonets referred to as _cold steel_.


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## kuchamaa

Can an _arma blanca_ be a blunt weapon like a club?


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## charmedgirl

Nope, I don't think so, because it's defined in our official dictionary by la Real Academia as "La ofensiva de hoja de hierro o de acero, como la espada " La (arma) ofensiva de *hoja* de hierro o de acero, como la espada" meaning with "hoja" BLADE in English. "It's an offensive (weapon) with a blade made of iron or steel, like the sword"


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## mrgshelton

_contundente_ is the term you'd use for *blunt* weapon or *blunt* instrument (used as a weapon): club, pummel, 2x4, nunchucks, cudgel, candlestick, tire iron, etc.

Referring to *blunt* force injury or *blunt* force trauma (which can be caused by a weapon or by falling against a hard object or getting banged-up in a car crash), _contundente_ can describe either the object, _arma contundente_, or the resulting blows, _heridas contundentes_.

Here's another thread: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=379079


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## melasa

Bladed weapon


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## Vell Bruixot

For a contextually sensitive translation it may be useful to understand the legal definition within any given country.  For example, in Chile the law covering "armas blancas"  reflects the usual incompetence of the Chilean legislature, which in the case of defining an "arma blanca" takes into account the assumed intent of the user as much as the essentially unbounded physical characteristics of the item, in such a way that a brick or stone or tree-branch or cricket-bat could be defined as an "arma blanca."  To wit, 


_Artículo  288 bis del Código Penal (Chileno)  definición: 

"...toda máquina, instrumento, utensilio u objeto  cortante, punzante o contundente que se haya tomado para matar, herir o  golpear, aún cuando no se haya hecho uso de él. "_

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Thus we cannot say that an "arma blanca"  is necessarily and universally a weapon or necessarily an edged or bladed item if the local law, as in the case of Chile, includes a much broader range of items. 

In the civilised countries, which is to say those with legal systems with more practical and meaningful methods for defining weapons,  "armas blancas"  is often translated as "edged weapons" or as "cutting weapons." But there is no universally accepted solution in the Spanish speaking world, largely due to the attempts by legislatures to construct odd  (and particularly catch-all) legal definitions.


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