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A sword is an offensive weapon designed for cutting and, or, thrusting. A sword consists essentially of a long straight or curved blade - which may or may not be sharpened on one or both edges - with a handle or hilt and a cross-guard and often a sharp point.
A sword may be specialised as a thrusting weapon, such as the rapier, specialised as a hacking weapon such as the Indian talwar, or a general purpose weapon suitable both for hacking and thrusting, such as the sabre. Mounted soldiers typically preferred a sword suitable for hacking, while for close combat the duality of a general purpose sword was preferred by foot soldiers until the advent of armour which rendered the thrusting approach ineffective. For duelling the thrusting only rapier sword was preferred and is still used in the sport of fencing.
In mediaeval times swords were extremely expensive and rarely used in battle because of the brittleness of the blade. Rather they were carried as an adornment of status and wealth. Because mediaeval swords were so fragile and so expensive - costing the equivalent of several years salary for many ordinary people - their owners would use a battle axe in times of war rather than the sword. The Hollywood notion of mediaeval knights duelling with broadswords is a romantic myth, the reality would be more likely they were braining each other with maces or short handled axes. A mediaeval sword which did survive its owner would be handed down as a valuable family heirloom.
 Research Sword
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Abbreviations
Warfare
