kirpan
/kɪə(ɹ)ˈpɑːn/
Etymology
Borrowed from Punjabi ਕਿਰਪਾਨ (kirpān), from Sanskrit कृपाण (kṛpāṇa, “sword, dagger, sacrificial knife”), from कल्पयति (kalpáyati, “he orders, apportions, cuts, trims”).
kirpan means A ceremonial sword that must be worn at all times by baptized Sikhs, and one of the five Ks. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 91 out of 100.
kirpan is pronounced /kɪə(ɹ)ˈpɑːn/.
Why “kirpan” is a great word
KIRPAN — [Noun] A ceremonial sword or dagger that is one of the five articles of faith required to be worn at all times by baptized Sikhs. From Punjabi ਕਿਰਪਾਨ (kirpān), from Sanskrit कृपाण (kṛpāṇa, "sword, dagger, sacrificial knife"). Unlike a "dagger," a generic term for a stabbing weapon, or a "talisman," an object of supposed magical protection, the kirpan is a mandated covenant, a symbol of solemn duty over superstition. It is the glint of steel beneath a lawyer’s blazer, the quiet weight against a schoolteacher’s side, the un-drawn promise in a place of prayer—a constant, physical reminder that spiritual commitment is girded by the courage to defend the defenseless, a principle made manifest in metal.
noun
- A ceremonial sword that must be worn at all times by baptized Sikhs, and one of the five Ks.